The Other World
by jws381
Summary: The Investigation Team and Team RWBY meet up to solve a mystery in the forests of Remnant. *This story is dedicated, not just to the memory of Monty Oum, but to all those who loved him, all those who admired him, and all those who strive to carry on his work of making our lives just a little brighter. Or in his case, a lot brighter.*
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Quiet." Blake said. "There's someone else out here." She motioned the others toward the source of the sound. It was just after sunset and already the forest was dark, only illuminated by moonlight and the last fading rays of the sun. Team RWBY had been heading back to their camp – it would provide some security in the otherwise dangerous night – but this was something that could not wait. They crept through the brush to the edge of a clearing. A few yards away, eight unknown individuals were making quite a racket. Did they not know how dangerous it was out here?

"What are they doing here?" Weiss asked rhetorically. "They look totally oblivious to the danger."

"Maybe they're lost." Ruby suggested. "We should help them."

"What if they're hostile?" Blake cautioned. "We're out here to look into reports of people disappearing, they could be the culprits."

"They're just kids." Yang said. "They can't be any older than us. I seriously doubt they're responsible. They're probably just lost."

"I'm going to help them." Ruby said. She stood up and walked toward the strange group. Just as she began to cross the field, something amazing happened.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?!" Yosuke's shouting woke Yu up with a start. He was not sure how long he had been unconscious or why. He sat up and looked around. They certainly were not in Inaba anymore; where exactly, he could not say.

"Calm down." Yu said. "Margaret wouldn't send us anywhere too dangerous." The others were just beginning to stir. Losing consciousness must have been a side-effect of entering this place, wherever it was. Margaret had told him that another world needed his help, and he was not going to go into battle without his friends. They had met Margaret as planned, entered a TV, and here they were. "Is everyone alright?" They indicated they were with a series of nods and thumbs ups.

"I don't think we're in the TV world." Naoto said. "I can see fine without the glasses."

"It doesn't smell like the TV world either." Teddie added.

"Look at the moon!" Yosuke was still not calm. Still, the sight was enough to inspire some concern. The shattered face of the moon was like nothing Yu had ever seen.

"Maybe we're on another planet." Chie said. Everyone turned their attention to her. "You know I just say the first thing that pops into my head. You don't have to look at me like I'm stupid."

"Actually, you might be right." Naoto said. "What if Margaret really meant it when she said it was _another world_. It would explain things."

"So we're not in the TV?" Kanji asked. He was really slow on the uptake.

"Can we use our Personas here?" Yukiko asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "I don't think we'd be much help without them after all." They had come armed as they would if they were going into the TV world, but they relied heavily on their Personas.

"There's only one way to find out." Yu said with his characteristic calm. "Izanagi!" His Persona manifested behind him, as if he had been in the TV world. He let it fade.

"That's a relief." Rise added. "I should scan the area."

"Hey, who's that?" Kanji pointed to a girl standing just across the field. She looked terribly surprised, maybe even afraid.

"I don't think she's ever seen a Persona before." Naoto said. "She must be a local. We should see if she can help us."

"We should try to calm her down too." Yukiko said. "Seeing Yu's Persona must have been quite a shock."

* * *

That was different. Ruby had seen many crazy things, but this stopped her in her tracks. The boy with grey hair shouted something and then a figure appeared behind him. It had to be at least fifteen feet tall, was dressed a bit like the boy, had a robotic-looking head and carried a giant sword. Then it disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. With power like that, maybe this group was responsible for the disappearances.

Now they had seen her. They were walking towards her. She was not sure whether to fight or run. Ruby swung Crescent Rose off of her back and took up a combat stance. "Ruby!" Yang shouted, rushing up from behind her with Blake and Weiss. Weapons drawn they took positions at her side.

That seemed to deter the group. They took a collective step back. Finally, one of them spoke. "Whoa, hold on." The boy with brown hair stammered. "We don't want to fight you, we're here to help." Now this was confusing.

"Who are you?" Blake shouted. "What was _that_?" Team RWBY remained poised for a fight.

"I'm Yosuke." The brown haired boy said. "I guess the _that_ you're talking about was a Persona." That did not clear anything up. "Uh, little help guys."

"Please calm down." The blue haired androgynous one said. "We were told that our help was needed, so we came here to see what we could do."

"Help with what?" Ruby asked. "Who said?" It was all terribly confusing.

"We actually don't know." The black haired girl said sheepishly. "A friend of ours just told us our help was needed. We don't even know where we are exactly."

So they were lost. Ruby lowered Crescent Rose but the others kept their weapons up. "You're just outside the kingdom of Vale." She was met by blank stares. "You know it's dangerous to be in the forest at night don't you. The Grimm are even more aggressive than usual after dark." More blank stares. "Where are you from?"

"Inaba." The intimidating looking boy said. "Uh, in Japan."

Ruby had never heard of Inaba or Japan. "I'm not familiar."

"I think this is a big misunderstanding caused by our collective ignorance." The blue haired one said. "Maybe we should try explaining our relative situations."

"You said it was dangerous." The black haired girl said. "Is there a safe place we can go to and talk this over?"

"Our camp is pretty safe." Ruby said. She turned to the others. "We should at least hear them out. Let's take them to our camp."

"I don't know about this." Blake said. "It could be a trick."

"Uh, guys." Yang pointed to the tree line. Dozens of red eyes shined in the darkness. "We have company."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A pack of Beowolves sprinted out of the trees, heading straight for them. Team RWBY sprang into action. Ruby unloaded sniper shots from Crescent Rose into the oncoming horde as Blake used the pistol configuration of Gambol Shroud. Yang propelled herself toward the pack using a backward blast from Ember Celica and Weiss used her glyphs to charge ahead. Yang and Weiss held up some of the Beowolves as the rest continued their charge.

Yang charged a Beowolf and punched it straight in the face before knocking it aside with a powerful hook. An uppercut and a cross dispatched a second before a flurry of punches annihilated a third. A forth hit her full force from her blind side, sending her tumbling through the grass. Yang recovered into a crouch before charging back at her assailant. Between the thunderous punch and the associated shotgun blast, she took the Beowolf's head clean off.

Weiss artfully dodged a charging Beowolf, sinking Myrtenaster into its back as it passed. She caught the next in the throat before leaping skyward to avoid the charge of another. At the peak of her jump, she generated a glyph that propelled her straight into the offending Beowolf, pinning it to the ground with her sword. She encased a Beowolf in ice before shattering it with a single powerful strike.

Ruby and Blake switched their weapons to melee configuration as the rest of the Beowolves closed in. Blake distracted the charging Beowolves with her semblance, allowing Ruby to hit them from the side. Crescent Rose sliced through three Beowolves as Ruby slid through the group, propelled by a sniper shot. As Ruby cleared the group, Blake swung Gambol Shroud's blade, extended on its ribbon, through the remaining Beowolves.

The remains of the dead Beowolves dissolved as the members of Team RWBY caught their breath. It was a frantic fight, as were most battles with Grimm, but it was nothing they could not handle. They had, after all, been through worse. Their attention turned back to the mysterious group, now standing in stunned silence.

"What were those?" Yosuke broke the silence, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Grimm." Blake said.

"We're Huntresses." Ruby said. "We're training to fight Grimm and protect people."

"Training?" The intimidating boy said with skepticism. "You look pretty damn good already."

"They dissolve when killed, just like shadows." The blue haired one said, seemingly in deep thought. "Could they be…"

"They're definitely not shadows." The pigtailed girl said. She turned her attention to Team RWBY. "You guys are SO cool!"

"Uh, yeah." Yang said. "Let's go back to camp and have a talk. We need to figure this out."

* * *

"Well, we may as well start with some introductions." Yosuke said. They had arrived at Team RWBY's camp, and could now talk in relative safety. "Like I said earlier, I'm Yosuke. He's Yu, our leader." He pointed to the grey haired boy.

"I'm Chie." The brown haired girl said. "Those moves were so awesome; you'll have to teach me how to fight like that!"

"I'm Yukiko, nice to meet you." The black haired girl said. "Thank you for defending us."

"I'm Kanji." The intimidating boy said. "I guess I'm kind of the muscle for our group."

"Well, you're certainly not the brains Kanji." The pigtailed girl laughed. "I'm Rise. I provide support. My Persona can detect the locations of shadows, and their strengths and weaknesses."

"My name's Naoto." The blue haired one said quietly.

"She's a detective." Yosuke added.

"A detective?" Ruby asked. "Are you looking into the disappearances too?"

"Like we said earlier, we don't know exactly why we're here." Naoto replied. "Maybe we're supposed to help solve that mystery. It does sound similar to the case we solved back in Inaba."

"What's he supposed to be?" Yang pointed to the one in the weird costume.

"I'm Teddie!" It replied.

"He's kind of cute." Ruby said.

"Wow, such pretty girls." Teddie said. "We should spend a romantic evening together, just the five of us."

"And now he's not cute." Weiss said, annoyed.

"Yeah, we just try to ignore him." Yosuke said.

"Hey!" Teddie protested.

"Despite appearances, he can actually fight." Yosuke continued. "He can be really annoying though."

"Well, we're Team RWBY." Ruby said. "That's R-W-B-Y. I'm Ruby, the team leader. This is my sister Yang, my friend Blake, and Weiss."

"Hey!" Weiss protested.

"So, what is that Persona thing you mentioned?" Blake asked.

"It's a bit hard to explain." Kanji said, scratching the back of his head. "One of you want to handle this?"

"As we understand it, it's the strength of our hearts physically manifest." Naoto explained. "We got the power by accepting the parts of ourselves we wanted to hide from the world. I'm not sure that explanation clears things up, but that really is the best I can do." Blake could certainly understand having a part of yourself you wanted to hide from the world.

"We use them to fight shadows." Chie added.

"What are shadows?" Blake asked. She was somewhat concerned, her semblance being shadow-related.

"They're monsters created by people's unconscious minds." Yukiko replied. "They take many forms and can be very dangerous to someone without a Persona."

"What were those things that attacked us?" Rise asked. "I could sense that they were different from shadows, but they're new to me."

"Those were Grimm." Weiss said. "Not much is known about them, but they are hostile to humans. We're training to be Huntresses at Beacon Academy so we can fight them and other threats to the kingdoms."

"Right now, we're investigating a series of disappearances from a village not far from here." Blake said. "It's not Grimm attacks, people just go missing without a trace. Grimm don't kidnap people, they kill them. We don't really have any leads at the moment."

"We'd be happy to help." Yu said.

"Thanks, but it's too dangerous." Yang said. "We've got training and special abilities that help us fight."

"What kind of abilities?" Yosuke asked.

"I have speed." In a burst of rose petals, Ruby raced around the camp. "Weiss uses glyphs like the ones you saw when we were fighting the Beowolves. Blake has shad…"

"I create decoys of myself to confuse attackers." Blake cut her off. She was still worried about how the group would react to the word 'shadow.' "Yang gets stronger the more she gets hit."

"Those abilities are not too different from our Personas." Naoto said. "I can use the power of light and darkness to destroy foes, Yu has electricity, and Kanji does too but also has attacks of a physical nature. Teddie can use ice, and so can Chie, though she generally prefers physical attacks. Yukiko can control fire and heal us, and Yosuke has wind powers."

"We also have auras." Blake added. "They protect us from harm like invisible armor. Our auras are not impenetrable, but they allow us to survive blows that would otherwise be fatal."

"Our Personas protect us as well." Naoto countered. "They intercept damage meant for us. Like your auras, not impenetrable, but a shield that minimizes our injuries."

"Yeah, our Personas make us more than strong enough to deal with the Grimm we saw." Chie said confidently.

"They're only the beginning." Blake cautioned. "They were young, foolish and weak. There are much more powerful Grimm and human foes besides. This is a dangerous world, particularly outside the safety of the kingdoms."

"We're going to help." Yu insisted.

"He's not one to change his mind about something like this." Yosuke said. "He's our leader, and if he says we're helping, we're helping."

"We'd be happy to have your help." Ruby said cheerfully as she shook Yu's hand. The others still seemed skeptical, but Ruby was the leader.

"So what do you know about the disappearances?" Naoto asked.

* * *

"Only who was went missing and when." Yang replied. "It's been all over the news. It's bizarre; the village is walled in and only has a few ways in and out. People are there and then they're not, no witnesses, no evidence. No one saw them leave, and there haven't been any reports of anything else suspicious going on."

"Have you talked to the local authorities?" Naoto inquired. "They might know more. Are there any security cameras? Anything that could help us piece together the events leading up to the disappearances?"

"Well, the thing is…" Ruby started but trailed off. She took a deep breath. "We're not actually supposed to be out here. If our professors got wind of this, we could be in a lot of trouble, so we haven't actually been able to do much investigating on our own."

"It's a good thing we showed up then." Chie said. "We'll ask around for you. We have plenty of experience with this sort of thing."

"What kind of experience?" Weiss asked skeptically.

"Well, we solved a serial kidnapping and murder case back home." Kanji said. "It was rough, but we figured it out. Mostly them actually, I still don't get some of that stuff."

"I'm very experienced in dealing with tough cases, and I know how to handle the local police." Naoto said confidently. "If you'd be so kind as to take us to the village, I'm sure we could find something that would point us in the right direction."

* * *

"Find out anything?" Yosuke asked. The group had just met up after asking around for over an hour. Yu shook his head. "Yeah, it seems like everyone is just as clueless as we are."

"Even the people who knew the victims didn't know anything that helps." Chie said. "They all seem like perfectly normal people."

"I think people were too intimidated by my appearance." Kanji said. "No one would even talk to me."

"You can come on pretty strong too; no wonder you scared them off." Rise added. Kanji opened his mouth as if to protest, but decided against it.

Naoto arrived as the others were talking. She had gone to talk to the police and it had taken longer than expected. "It seems the police are pretty desperate. They game me access to everything they have on the case, but it isn't much. The victims do have something in common though: they all worked with something called dust."

"That doesn't mean anything." Weiss said dismissively. "Everyone uses dust. It's the power source for just about every machine, and it imbues objects with special properties. It's even sown into clothes. Our weapons use it. We use it to give our bullets special properties, and Blake and I use it to alter the effects of our semblances. It would be more surprising if the victims didn't have extensive contact with dust."

"It's the closeness though." Naoto countered. "The first victim owned a dust shop. The second used to work in a dust mine. The third was a retired hunter who would have used it extensively in combat. I was shown pictures of the fourth victim's home and there were dust crystals everywhere."

"Dust is pretty common, but there might be something to it." Ruby added. "Maybe the culprits need people with expertise in using dust." The dust angle was interesting, but it did not really get them any closer to a solution.

"All the victims had strange dreams." Yukiko said. "I thought it sounded weird, but the people who knew the victims said they had talked about having strange dreams where they heard a voice talking to them from the forest. I didn't think it was important, but if there's nothing else…"

"Did they give you any more details?" Naoto asked.

"Are you taking this seriously?" Blake demanded. "Dreams?!"

"If you had seen the things we have, you would be open to just about any possibility." Yosuke explained. "A world inside the TV, people killed by their suppressed feelings, hell, we've fought against gods!" Blake had no idea what he was talking about, but after witnessing a Persona and meeting people from another world, she too was more open to what had seemed impossible. The disappearances having something to do with people's dreams, it was just a bit of a stretch.

"I wasn't told much in terms of detail." Yukiko admitted. "I'm not sure the victims even shared that with the people I talked to. They just said the voice was coming from the forest."

"Now that I think about it, one woman did mention that she was having a weird recurring dream about the forest since the disappearances started." Rise said.

"What's her occupation?" Naoto asked.

"Uh, she's a mechanic I think." Rise replied.

"Weiss said dust powers machines." Naoto said. "Fixing machines would put her in close and regular contact with dust, just like the other victims. I think it's safe to assume she'll be next to go missing."

"Ooh, do we get to have a stakeout?" Chie asked excitedly. "It'll be just like old times!"

* * *

They had been waiting for hours, sitting in a park across the street from the woman's house. They saw her come home from work and nothing since. It was already getting dark. "So…" Yang finally broke the silence. "What's the deal with Teddie?"

"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked.

"You know, the costume, the weirdness." Yang replied.

"I wear the costume because it makes me feel comfortable." Teddie said. It did not look like a comfortable costume. It did not even look like it fit human proportions.

"When we first met Teddie, he was literally just the costume." Yosuke added. Team RWBY looked at him confused. "It sounds crazy, I know. When we first met I pulled his head off, and there was nothing inside! Then, one day, he showed up with a human body in there that he says he grew."

"I came from the TV world; I'm originally just a shadow." Teddie said sadly. "I wanted people to like me, so I took this form. Then after I met Sensei and the others, I wanted to visit their world, so I grew a body."

"And he isn't even close to the weirdest thing we've encountered." Yosuke said. "That was probably Kanji's shadow." Kanji shot him an angry look. "I'm just joking, calm down."

"I don't like to talk about…him." Kanji said.

"We got our Personas from facing our shadows." Yukiko explained. "That is, the hidden parts of ourselves we didn't want to accept. When we accepted it, our shadow transformed into a Persona."

"Well, Yu didn't face his shadow." Yosuke said. "He just had the power. It's one of the reasons he's our leader."

"He also has a tendency to make the correct decision in any situation." Naoto added.

"He's a great guy." Kanji said. "If it wasn't for him, we'd all probably be dead. He helped us accept who we really are on the inside." Yu remained silent but looked a bit embarrassed by all the praise.

"We've got movement." Chie called to the others.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The woman walked out of her house and headed straight for the wall surrounding the village. She did not even bother to close the door behind her. She stopped just a few feet short of the wall and crouched down. With a single swift motion she leaped twenty feet into the air and over the wall.

"Well, that explains why no one sees them go." Ruby said.

"Is it normal for people in this world to make superhuman leaps in the middle of the night?" Yosuke asked. He was a bit thrown off by Team RWBY's lack of reaction to the sight.

"No, but most hunters and huntresses are capable of this." Yang explained. "Either she's secretly a huntress or something strange is going on. We'd better follow her."

"We can't make that jump." Chie said.

"Ruby, take them around the long way." Blake advised. "I'll follow her." With that Blake rushed forward and bounded over the wall and out of sight.

"I shouldn't let her go alone." Yang said and headed off as well.

"If we just try to leave through the gate in the middle of the night like this, the guards are going to have a lot of questions." Weiss said. "Is there any way your Personas could get you over the wall?"

"We could give it a shot." Yosuke said. He summoned his Persona and it picked him up. "Looks like it shouldn't be a problem." His Persona leaped over the wall and out of sight. The others soon followed.

"I really hope nobody saw that." Yukiko said after leaping over the wall. "It would be quite a shock." She sounded out of breath.

"Why are you out of breath?" Ruby asked.

"Using our Personas requires extreme concentration and exertion." Naoto explained. "Even a short duration use can be exhausting."

* * *

"Did you try to stop her?" Ruby asked.

"We tried walking in front of her, talking to her, even standing in her path." Yang replied. "It's like she's sleepwalking. She just ignored us."

"I'd be worried about trying to stop her physically." Blake said. "She could hurt herself or us."

"We'll just have to follow her." Ruby said. They had gone quite deep into the forest. They had expected to be attacked by Grimm, but no attack had materialized. They had seen some, but the Grimm appeared to be keeping their distance. It was bizarre.

The woman continued her trek, heading for a mountain at the edge of the forest. She arrived at its slope and immediately headed for a large cave. The entrance to the cave had a strange, unnatural look and feel about it. The woman walked into the cave and the group followed.

"Now _this_ is like the TV world." Yosuke said confidently. He put on a pair of glasses. "Definitely the same."

"I can't see anything, it's too foggy." Ruby said in frustration.

"Try these." Yukiko took off her glasses and handed them to Ruby.

"Wow, it's like there's no fog at all." Ruby said after putting on the glasses. "Where did you get these?"

"Teddie made them for us when we first met him." Chie explained. "There's fog just like this in the TV world. It's disorienting if you don't have the glasses." The Persona users looked at Teddie expectantly.

"My time to shine!" Teddie exclaimed. "Ta-da!" He produced four sets of the glasses and handed them out to Team RWBY. "I always keep extras just in case!"

"Maybe he's not totally useless after all." Weiss said. Teddie just smiled, seemingly oblivious to the sarcastic and backhanded nature of the compliment.

The looked around, but the woman was gone. More worryingly, the location did not look like the inside of a cave at all. They appeared to be standing on a dirt path, an imposing fortress looming in the distance. Team RWBY was visibly concerned by the turn of events.

"I wouldn't worry too much." Kanji said. "This kind of thing always happens."

"It's hard to explain, but in the TV world, there are many locations that take strange forms like this." Yosuke said. "The cave probably wasn't a cave at all. It was probably some kind of portal, sort of like the TVs we use to enter and exit the TV world."

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asked. She did not fully understand what he was saying, but Yosuke clearly had experience she did not have.

"Well, that's up to our leader." Yosuke said. "Yu, what should we do?"

"First we need to find her." Yu replied. He nodded in Rise's direction.

"Kouzeon!" Rise shouted. Behind her, the figure of a six-armed woman in an elegant dress, with a telescope for a head, appeared. The figure placed a visor in front of Rise's face as she concentrated. The Persona vanished and she collapsed to her knees. Yu was nearby to catch her as if he knew it would happen. "I'm alright." She stumbled to her feet. "That way." She pointed deeper into the world. "I'm not sure if it's the woman we followed in here, but I sense a tremendous source of power in that direction. There are lots of shadows here too, powerful ones."

"We should rest." Yu said. The other Persona users nodded and began to head for the exit, a cave entrance that was a mirror image of the one they had used to enter the world.

"But we have to save that woman!" Blake shouted. "We can't just leave!"

"Trust us." Naoto said. "We haven't slept in more than a day, and you're in this world for the first time. It is imperative that we are fully rested and prepared."

"In our experience, people aren't killed by the shadows right away." Yukiko explained. "That woman and the others should be alright for a while. Besides, if we can't save them, there's no one else. We need to be ready."

"They're right." Ruby said. "Just being here makes my head hurt and I am pretty tired. We should go to our camp and get a night's rest."

* * *

"I'm worried about them partner." Yosuke said to Yu. They were on watch while the others slept. "We all faced our shadows, they haven't yet. What if we run into their shadows? The way they fight without Personas, their shadows would be incredibly powerful. And who knows what secrets they're hiding. It could get weird, Kanji-weird. Besides that, it took us all time to recover after accepting our other selves."

Yu shrugged. "Working together, I'm sure we can overcome anything."

"Another thing's bothering me." Yosuke admitted. "This world, we were transported here by Margaret, but she didn't meet us here. When we went into the Hollow Forest, she was there to explain things and provide an exit. When all this is over, how will we get home?"

"I'm sure she wouldn't send us here if there was no way back." Yu said.

"You know her better than I do." Yosuke sighed. "I just hope you're right."

* * *

The group trudged down the path leading to the fortress. If not for the yellow sky, constant fog and warped sense of distance, there would have been nothing to distinguish this place from the real world. Upon entering the world, the fortress had seemed to be miles away, but they arrived at it after just minutes of walking. They were greeted by a roiling red and black mass where the gate should have been.

"It's a portal." Yosuke explained. "The TV world was subdivided like this too."

"The power I sensed earlier is definitely inside." Rise said.

"This place kind of reminds me of Yukiko's castle." Teddie said.

"Can we please not talk about that?" Yukiko said with a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.

"Well, in we go." Kanji said as he confidently stepped through the portal. The others followed. The inside was entirely incongruous with the outside. While the outside had been an imposing fortress with towering stone walls, the inside was a narrow snow-covered path. The path was lined by trees and bushes too thick to push through, so the only way to proceed was straight ahead.

"This place seems…familiar." Ruby said. "It's like I've been here before."

Yu and Yosuke exchanged knowing looks. "If this is like the TV world, it is partly created by the minds of the people in it." Teddie said.

"In our experience, it's a place from your imagination or that relates to the part of yourself you keep hidden." Naoto explained. "For us, it was related to the kidnapping victim, but it could be different here." The Investigation Team was not going to say it, but somewhere inside was likely Ruby's shadow, assuming this was 'her' world. They would cross that bridge when they got to it.

Rise summoned her Persona and scanned the area. "There is definitely a person in here." She reported. "There are shadows too, and some powerful ones."

"We should get moving." Yang said. "We won't do any good just standing here, there are people who need saving."

* * *

They walked deeper into the snowy forest, for hours it seemed. It was hard to keep a sense of time. The scenery never changed, so they could not judge how long they had been walking by how much progress they had made. It was a good thing the path was a straight shot; with no landmarks it would be easy to get lost. Finally, Kanji said what most of them were thinking. "So, where are all the shadows?"

The group looked to Rise for an answer. "I've been tracking them. They're acting differently than I've ever experienced. The weak ones we'd normally be fighting have been avoiding us. They're all around, but outside the bounds of the path." Yu pressed his hand against the foliage lining the path. Instead of feeling trees and bushes, it was a solid wall. He shook his head to indicate they could not pass through. "Maybe they can sense our power and don't want to fight us."

"Or maybe they're setting up an ambush." Naoto cautioned.

"I don't think so." Rise said. "If they were going to ambush us, you'd expect them to gather in one place. They're just getting out of the way as we pass and then going back to normal." She stopped to scan the path ahead. "There's a strong shadow nearby. It's just around the corner and I doubt this one will be running away."

The path ahead curved lazily before opening into an open field. It was circular, more like an arena than a natural feature. In the center stood a shadow that looked like a twisted version of a Deathstalker. It stood its ground as the group approached. When they got close, it hissed and snapped its claws threateningly but did not charge them.

"I'll take care of this!" Yang shouted, charging straight at the shadow.

"Wait!" Rise warned. "You shouldn't…" Before Rise finished speaking, Yang slammed her fist full force into the Deathstalker shadow's face. There was a brilliant flash of light and Yang recoiled in pain, clutching her arm. "It reflects physical attacks." Rise finished. With a swipe of its claw, the shadow sent Yang sailing across the field. She slammed into the side of the clearing before falling flat on her face. Even with her aura to protect her, it was tremendously painful.

Ruby fired a shot from Crescent Rose. It hit the shadow and deflected harmlessly into the air. "We've got to use something else." Naoto implored. "Your normal weapons won't hurt it." She took a step forward and summoned her Persona. "Yamato Sumeragi!" A figure wearing formal attire, knee-high boots, a sharply pointed triangular helmet, and trailing a cape and flowing blond hair behind it appeared. The Persona made a sweeping motion in the air with its sword and a square of light appeared beneath the shadow. The square collapsed with no effect. It was replaced by a black circle. It too collapsed without doing any damage. "Light and darkness don't have any effect either." Naoto cautioned.

"So what should we use?" Blake demanded.

"I can't get a good reading." Rise replied. "Just try some things and see what works." She sounded as frustrated as the others.

The shadow was now on the attack, charging at the group with its claws and stinger. They scattered but the shadow zeroed in on Weiss. Yu tried to distract it, his Persona delivering a shot of electricity from the flank, but it seemed little more than an annoyance for the shadow. In desperation, Weiss used her glyphs to encase the shadow's legs in ice. The shadow hissed in pain and recoiled, circling back away from her.

"That's it!" Rise encouraged. "It's vulnerable to ice!"

Chie and Teddie stepped forward and summoned their Personas. Chie's Persona was the form of a female samurai, clad in golden armor with a two-bladed sword. Teddie's was just as strange as the man himself. Rainbow colored and conical, it sported a large, confident smile. Its defining feature was its tail, a rocket. Both Personas unleashed a torrent of ice into the shadow. The ice first pinned it in place and then encased it. The two Personas flew high into the air before coming crashing down into the frozen shadow, which now shattered into innumerable pieces. The pieces evaporated and the shadow was gone.

Yang stumbled back over to the group, still wobbly on her feel. "Yang, are you alright?" Ruby asked with clear concern in her voice.

"I'll be fine, just a scratch." Yang replied confidently. Her confident front was undermined by her appearance. She still clutched her arm and blood trickled from a cut near her hairline. The others looked at her with apprehension. "I've had worse." She let go of her injured arm to wipe the blood from her face. "I definitely didn't see that coming."

"You can't fight shadows the way you fight Grimm." Yosuke warned. "Lots of them, especially the strong ones, have hidden properties. They're most dangerous when they use your own power against you."

"You really must fight them more tactically." Naoto added. "See what works and what doesn't first, and then hit them hard when you know it won't backfire."

"That kind of hesitation is dangerous." Blake countered.

"It is." Yukiko agreed. "But it's necessary, and the abilities Teddie and I have can buy us the time we need." She turned to Yang. "Let me heal you." Yang stepped forward, unsure of what this healing would entail. "Sumeo-Okami!" The figure of a golden woman with elegant wings and flowing hair appeared. With a flourish, Yukiko's Persona surrounded Yang with brilliant light. In an instant her cuts and bruises were gone and her arm no longer hurt.

"Thanks." Yang said. Her aura would have healed the damage in a short time, but instant healing was certainly a plus. "That was…interesting." The feeling was hard to describe. It was a warm, perhaps loving feeling. She stretched and flexed her arm to make sure it was fully healed; it was. "I'd rather not need it again, but that's a cool power to have."

"There are no other shadows in the immediate area." Rise reported. "Just a few relatively strong ones and a very powerful one further in. The strongest one is very close to the person in here, we should hurry."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"The shadows are still avoiding us." Rise reported. "But there are three powerful ones waiting for us just ahead." Sure enough, a little further down the path there were three shadows waiting in another arena-like clearing. These shadows took the appearance of deformed Ursai. Each had a slightly different appearance. "They've each got different properties." Rise said. "For some reason I still can't get a good scan in this place, but I'll keep trying."

Yu opened up with Izanagi. He launched a light electric attack at all the enemies. One Ursa shadow collapsed in pain, one seemed only slightly deterred and the third seemed to grow more powerful. Yu motioned Kanji at the downed shadow, indicating he should follow up with an electric attack of his own. "Takeji Zaiten!" Kanji summoned his Persona. A white figure with oversized arms, adorned with flames and carrying a massive sword appeared. With a swipe of its sword, a bold of lightning shot into the injured shadow. It howled in pain before exploding and dissolving away.

Ruby fired a series of sniper shots at the remaining shadows. They seemed to have little effect on either. "I don't think physical attacks are going to work." Ruby warned. Yukiko stepped up and summoned her Persona, delivering a wave of fire to the remaining shadows. One recoiled in pain but the other seemed to grow stronger; it was the same one powered up by electricity as well. The now super-powered shadow headed straight for Yukiko's Persona and hit it with a devastating swipe of its claw. Yukiko cried out in pain as her Persona began to fade to static.

"Bearsona!" Teddie shouted, summoning his Persona. Even in the heat of combat, Yang could not help but smile at the pun. His Persona scooped up Yukiko and carried her away from the shadows before healing her. She was still dazed but would be alright. Teddie then turned his attention to the shadows, commanding his Persona to assail them with a torrent of ice. The ice had no effect. Teddie wisely withdrew, though the way he fled screaming made it appear to be more of a rout than a tactical retreat.

The shadows were now closing in, using their imposing size and strategic positioning to pin the group in an ever-shrinking area. "We've still got to do something about the one weak to fire." Rise implored. "Yukiko is the only one of us with fire based attacks. Senpai, can you change Personas?" Yu shook his head.

"I've got an idea." Weiss said. She pulled out a vial of unrefined red dust. She kept it in case she needed to refill Myrtenaster. Weiss tossed the vial toward the shadow and the vial rolled in front of the shadow as it charged. "Shoot it!" Weiss shouted. Blake shot the vial which erupted in a brilliant flame, engulfing the shadow. The shadow struggled and swiped at the air as it burned before falling to the ground and evaporating.

"Wind doesn't work on this one either." Yosuke reported. The group was now able to move around the area more freely and they had spread out around the last remaining shadow. His Persona dodged out of the way as the shadow swiped at it.

"Light and dark are not effective either." Naoto added. "I've got one more thing left to try." She stepped forward and took a deep breath. "Megidolaon!" She shouted with intense concentration. Her Persona raised its sword high into the air before bringing it down. A blinding light appeared in the sky above the shadow, expanding to engulf it and most of the area. The light was followed by the sound of a thunderous explosion and a wave of heat and wind that knocked everyone off their feet. When the smoke cleared nothing remained of the shadow, just a smoking crater.

"Why didn't you just do that from the beginning?" Blake asked, back on her feet. The others were standing back up and dusting themselves off. There was no reply. "Well?" Blake turned to see Naoto on all fours, hyperventilating. The others rushed over to her.

"I'll be…alright." Naoto mumbled, struggling to catch her breath. Yu knelt at her side and helped her to her feet. She tried to stand but immediately stumbled, grabbing Yu's shoulder to avoid falling. "Sorry."

"Come on now, let us help you." Kanji grabbed her under the arm and Yu did the same on the other side. "Good job killing that shadow, but you've got to take better care of yourself." Naoto nodded weakly.

"Powerful attacks like that take a lot of concentration and energy." Rise explained to Team RWBY. "It's why we don't just use our most powerful attacks all the time. She's not injured, just exhausted, which is something Yukiko and Teddie's healing abilities can't fix."

"I don't think I'll be much help to you the rest of the way." Naoto said. "I should head back to the entrance; I'll just be a liability."

"You're not going alone." Kanji admonished her. "There're shadows all over the place. They might be weak but in your condition so are you. I'll take her back." Kanji waved his free arm at the others. "Senpai's got electric attacks, you don't need me. We'll be fine." Yu nodded and they headed off.

"He really cares about her huh?" Ruby asked after they had walked out of earshot.

"It's the most awkward crush I've ever seen." Yosuke laughed. "Even more awkward because she's totally oblivious to it."

"You said your healing doesn't help with exhaustion." Blake said. "How do you guys not get tired fighting in this place? It's so tiring." The looks of concern on the faces of the other members of Team RWBY indicated that they were thinking the same thing.

"Oh, it must be because you don't have Personas." Chie answered. "Before we got our Personas, being in the TV world was really tiring for us too."

"Are you guys going to be okay?" Yukiko asked. "You shouldn't push yourselves too hard."

"We'll be alright." Yang said confidently. The others nodded in agreement. Still, it was less than convincing.

"I'd be happy to carry you." Teddie said. "Who wouldn't want a Teddie-back ride?!"

"Is he always like this?" Weiss asked, annoyed.

"You have no idea." Yosuke confirmed.

* * *

"That strong shadow is just ahead." Rise cautioned. She paused for a few moments. "Kanji and Naoto safely reached the entrance."

"You can communicate with your Persona too?" Ruby asked.

"It really comes in handy." Rise said. "I can provide support from a safe distance, and help if we get split up."

"Come on, we're wasting time talking." Blake admonished them. "There's someone in here who needs our help." They walked over a rise in the path. It opened into a wide, open field at the edge of a cliff.

"Oh no." Yang said. She recognized this place. Ruby did to and rushed ahead of the others toward some sort of stone monument. "Ruby, wait!" Yang yelled after her. It was hard to see because of the lack of contrast with the snow, but there appeared to be a figure near the monument wearing a white cape. "It can't be."

"Mom?" Ruby said weakly, approaching the figure.

"Be careful!" Rise warned. "That's the shadow." Rise spun around, surprised. "All those shadows that were avoiding us, they're heading this way!"

"I'll hold them off, you guys go on ahead." Yosuke said, standing at the spot where the previously narrow path opened into the open field. "Takehaya Susano-o!" He summoned his Persona. It was the image of a man in a long yellow coat, his hair replaced by a blazing sun, a large circular blade floating around him.

"If we stop that shadow, the others will probably back off." Yukiko advised. "We need to hurry."

Weiss, Yang and Blake rushed forward. Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose and swung it out to her side and planted the blade firmly in the ground, blocking their path. "No." She whispered.

"We have to." Weiss said, starting to push the weapon aside.

"I said no." Ruby repeated, louder this time. She turned the blade threateningly toward the others. "I can't lose her again."

"Ruby…" Yang said, putting her arms around Ruby's shoulders. "I know how you feel, but that's not mom."

"I could use some help!" Yosuke called. He faced a torrent of shadows. They came at him in the forms of various Grimm – Deathstalkers, Ursai, Beowolves and Nevermore. They were not particularly large or powerful, but there were dozens, maybe hundreds.

"I'll help!" Teddie shouted with enthusiasm. He rushed to Yosuke's side and the two began fighting the oncoming tide of shadows.

"No matter how much you want this to be mom, it's not." Yang said. "Mom's gone and there's nothing that will change that. We just have to go on living; it's what she would have wanted." Ruby dropped Crescent Rose and fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"What I would have wanted?" Shadow Summer Rose said. "I would have wanted a better daughter." The shadow laughed. "You're such a failure!"

"What is this?" Weiss asked.

"Don't listen to it!" Chie shouted. "This is what the shadows do."

"What a loser." The shadow hissed. "You're a total social incompetent. The only friends you can make are the ones forced upon you or people who are just as pathetic. What kind of friends are they anyway? Weiss resents you being the leader, Blake didn't even trust you enough to tell you she's a Faunus and how much do you really know about any of the others? And you're so stupid! Even Yang gets better grades and she's not even trying."

"Please, stop." Ruby cried. The other members of Team RWBY charged the shadow, but with a wave of its hand, the shadow threw them back with a blast of wind.

"Don't get me started on your leadership!" The shadow persisted. "For one thing, you've lead them all to their deaths!"

"We're going to need more help!" Yosuke called. "They just keep coming."

"I'm exhausted." Teddie added.

"We've got it!" Chie yelled. She and Yukiko rushed to help Yosuke and Teddie. The torrent of shadows seemed to have no end.

Shadow Summer began to transform. After melting into a black mass, it reformed into a gigantic, grotesque hybrid of Summer and a Beowolf. Weiss, Blake and Yang regrouped and launched another attack. They cut and blasted large chunks off the shadow in a frenzied assault. "Even your team is weak!" The shadow raised its claws into the air and brought them dramatically down, unleashing another, stronger blast of wind in all directions. All the damage that had been done was instantly repaired.

The blast of wind flung Yang off the cliff. Acting quickly, Blake slung half of Gambol Shroud, extended on its ribbon, to Yang as she tumbled toward the dark abyss below. She grabbed it by her finger tips and used her momentum to swing back up to relative safety. They renewed their assault but still could not make any permanent gains. Yu summoned his Persona and joined the fight. Izanagi launched a bolt of lightning into the shadow. The shadow reacted as if in pain but it was fleeting.

"Even the fools you dragged here are doomed." The shadow said. A focused blast of wind was all it took to deal with Izanagi, which faded to static and disappeared. Yu collapsed with a grunt of pain, apparently unconscious.

"Senpai!" Rise shouted in horror.

"What are we supposed to do?!" Blake shouted. "Rise! Focus!"

"You're hurting it, but it keeps healing itself." Rise said. "You've got to do damage more quickly."

"We can't do this any faster!" Weiss said, still taking swipes at the shadow to no avail.

"Do something quick!" Yosuke yelled. "We can't hold them off for much longer." The shadows were attacking in what seemed to be ever increasing numbers. The Persona users were getting weak, not from injury but from exertion. They were being pushed back.

"You're all going to die here!" Shadow Summer cackled.

"No." Ruby said softly. "You're a lie. It's all lies!" She screamed. "This whole place is a lie!" She stood, tears in her eyes, and swung Crescent Rose into position. The shadow staggered, as if injured solely by Ruby's newfound resolve. "I won't let you hurt them!" Ruby charged the shadow with the full speed of her semblance, swinging her scythe in fury. In a blur and a shower of rose petals, she sliced into the shadow, literally cutting it to pieces.

The shadow collapsed into a black mass. Cracks, filled with brilliant light, appeared all over its surface and it exploded in a blinding flash. The wave of shadows that had been close to breaking through the Investigation Team's line receded, the shadows now fleeing in fear. When the light died away, there was Ruby, standing beside her mother's grave, surrounded by a purple flame. A tarot card descended from the sky and shattered in front of her. Above her appeared the figure of Summer Rose, not as a shadow, but as she had really been. The figure faded and Ruby collapsed, unconscious.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled, rushing to her side. She rolled Ruby over into her lap. "Please wake up."

"She'll…be fine." Yu said weakly, still badly injured.

"Does she…" Weiss started.

"Have a Persona?" Rise finished for her. "It certainly looks that way. She's perfectly fine, awakening a Persona is just as tiring as using one." Rise walked over to Summer Rose's gravestone. "I had no idea your mother was dead; I'm so sorry." She said to Yang.

"I'm her half-sister." Yang explained, still cradling Ruby in her arms. "Summer isn't my mother, but we both miss her terribly. I knew it affected Ruby deeply, but I had no idea…"

"Is everyone alright?" Yukiko asked as the others rejoined them. "Oh my God, is she…"

"She just got her Persona." Yu said, now barely standing. He was clearly in pain.

"Let me heal you." Yukiko said to Yu. He shook his head and motioned to the others. They were pretty banged up as well. "We got our Personas by facing our own shadows." Yukiko explained. "It's hard enough to hear yourself listing your faults and insecurities. This is a whole new level of evil." Everyone was silent; they could not help but agree, but it was difficult to talk about all the same. They also had to consider the fact that three of them still lacked Personas and could be in for the same brand of torture.

"The victim in here, where is he?" Yosuke asked, breaking the uneasy silence.

"Under here." Rise replied, pointing to the gravestone. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to move it." With unease on written across their faces, Blake and Weiss pushed the gravestone aside. Beneath it was a chamber, and inside laid an elderly man, apparently asleep. He looked familiar. Blake shook the man's shoulder, waking him. His confusion at the situation was obvious.

"We're here to save you." Weiss said.

"Where am I?" The man asked.

"That's going to be hard to explain." Yosuke said. "We should get out of here first."

* * *

They all walked out of the snowy forest, Yang carrying the still unconscious Ruby. They met Kanji and Naoto just outside the portal. When the last of them stepped out, the portal shattered and disappeared, leaving the fortress gate open. They decided to get the victim and Ruby to safety before exploring further.

* * *

Ruby opened her eyes, struggling to see in the dim light. She sat in an eerie blue room. The room looked like a fancy restaurant, but there was only one table. Ruby was seated at one side and across from her were two men. "Where am I?" She asked.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." One of the men said. He appeared to be quite old and had an unnaturally long and pointed nose. "My name is Igor and I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

* * *

The group arrived back at the village. In the time they had been gone, night had turned to day. The citizens of the town seemed confused by the presence of the large and unorthodox group, but generally ignored them. The man they had saved led them to his house. "Please, come in." He said as he opened the door. They entered the house and joined the man in his living room. "I can't thank you enough for saving me, though I still don't understand what happened." He closed his eyes, searching his memory. "I went to sleep one night, and then I woke up in that place when you found me. I had a strange dream that a voice called me into the forest and I followed it, but I thought it was only a dream." He paused. "How long was I gone?"

"Two weeks." Naoto said. "At least that's when you were reported missing. Your customers were worried when you did not open your shop on time."

"Is there anything I can do to help you all?" The man asked. "Anything, just name it."

"Well, we are running a little low on dust." Weiss said.

"You can take as much as you want from my shop." The main said. "No charge."

"I'll see to it that you get the best rate possible from the Schnee Dust Company." Weiss said.

"Then it's not much of a thank you." The man said. "Is there anything else?"

"Well, we've been sleeping outside in the forest for the last several days." Blake said. "Is there any way we can sleep here? We don't even need beds, just a place where we don't have to worry about Grimm attacking us in our sleep."

"Of course." The man replied. "Make yourselves at home. Is there anything I can do for her?" He gestured toward Ruby.

"She'll be fine." Yu said confidently. "She just needs to rest."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ruby opened her eyes, struggling to adjust to the bright light. She lay in an unfamiliar place. "Ruby!" Yang said cheerfully, sitting at her bedside. "We were so worried. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that." Yang bent over and gave her a hug. It was characteristically too tight.

"What happened?" She asked groggily. "Where am I?"

"After you defeated that shadow, you lost consciousness." Blake said. She had been standing nearby, but Ruby had not previously noticed her presence. "The person we rescued let us use his house." That answered both questions in a literal sense, but Ruby still did not really understand what had happened.

"You were unconscious for two days!" Weiss shouted. "We were worried sick! I don't care what Ozpin says, if you pull something like this again, I'm taking over as team leader." Weiss tried to hide it behind anger, but it was clear that she really cared. Ruby was vaguely aware of others in the room.

"I was in a blue room…" Ruby started. Everyone gave her a confused look except Yu. She decided not to continue. "Never mind. What about the other missing people?"

"We haven't been back." Yang said. "I didn't want to leave your side and the others didn't want to go without us."

Ruby sat up and spun to the edge of the bed. "I feel fine now, we should go." She jumped up to her feet and only avoided falling down because Yang caught her.

"You're not going anywhere yet." Yang said.

"Yang's right." Naoto agreed. "There's no reason to go before you've fully regained your strength. We talked to the first victim – the one you saved – and it seems the victims are held in some sort of suspended animation. We can afford to take our time. While we waited for your recovery, I did more investigating. Apparently there is one more missing person we didn't know about."

"How?" Blake asked. This was the first time Naoto was reporting her findings.

"No one reported him missing." Naoto replied. "For all we know, he has nothing to do with this. The gate guards say he just left one day and never came back. He's a hunter, even if he didn't train at a major academy, so I doubt the Grimm are responsible for his disappearance. The people who knew him say he didn't report any strange dreams either. His brother recently died, and he became quite depressed. Then one day, he said he 'had it all figured out' and just left. Apparently he often left without warning, so no one thought it was strange. This all happened before the first confirmed case, so I can't be sure it's part of the same series."

"Just get some rest." Yang told Ruby. "We'll keep investigating until you're ready."

"Okay, but can I speak with Yu for a minute?" Ruby asked. "Alone, please." The others left the room to give them privacy.

"What is it?" Yu asked. He was his usual impassive self.

"Well, when I mentioned the blue room, you didn't seem surprised like the others." Ruby said.

"The Velvet Room." Yu corrected her. "I've been there."

"There was weird looking old guy there who said I had the power of the Fool." Ruby continued.

"I have the same power." Yu explained. "It normally allows me to use multiple Personas, but for some reason I haven't been able to here."

"He said there was something altering the power." Ruby said. "He didn't explain it though. He also said I signed some sort of contract, but I don't remember doing anything like that."

"You agreed to solve the case with us." Yu said. "That's a kind of contract." It was Yu's turn to ask a question. "Was a woman named Margaret there as well?"

"No, just the old guy and a man named Theodore." Ruby replied. "Is it important?" Yu gestured to indicate that it was not, but Ruby could see that he was hiding something. "You can tell me. If it's a secret I won't tell anybody."

"Don't worry about it." Yu said. "Just get some rest; we need you ready to fight." He turned and left the room.

* * *

"How did Ruby get a Persona anyway?" Chie asked. "We all had to accept the…darker side of ourselves to gain our Personas. She didn't. She just kicked the shadow's butt."

"From all we've seen, it seems the shadows and their world here do not work the same way they did for us." Naoto said. "Maybe instead of accepting your shadow, you must defeat it in battle to transform it into a Persona. I can't say for sure, but it seems to be a logical conclusion."

"I hope she's really okay." Yosuke said. "Facing my shadow was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it only had my face. She had to suffer through having her dead mother berate her with all the things she's insecure about. I don't think I could have dealt with that." It was a depressing thing to think about, but he was right. The shadows in this place were more insidious than anything they had faced before.

Something else has been bothering me." Yukiko said anxiously. "We've been here for days. Back home they must be worried sick."

"My ma's gonna' be pissed." Kanji said. "I hope she doesn't get too worked up."

"Your uncle's going to kill you." Yosuke joked. "Forget about not being home, skipping school for this long is a capital offense for him." Yu was not amused, and seemed to have something else on his mind. No one was going to ask what, they knew he would tell them when he was ready.

* * *

The next day they returned to the cave and the shadow world. It had changed since Ruby had last seen it. The portal leading to the snowy forest was gone, leaving the fortress gate wide open. Inside was a large courtyard lined by five doorways. Straight ahead, at the top of a set of stone stairs, a larger door loomed. It appeared to lead to the fortress's keep. The large door had four locks on it; one was open, but the others remained locked tight.

Ruby took a closer look at the other doors. Four of the doorways were more or less the same, and similar in appearance to the portal that had led to Ruby's world. One of the doors was very different though. It was blue and had an otherworldly glow. Stranger still, the others did not seem to notice it.

"You see it, don't you?" Yu tapped Ruby on the shoulder.

"You mean the blue door?" She asked in reply. Yu nodded.

"Come with me." Yu said confidently. The two walked up to the blue door. It opened to Yu's touch and they stepped inside.

"Hey Ruby." Yang called. There was no response. "Ruby?" Ruby and Yu were standing side-by-side, holding their arms as if reaching for something. They were totally unresponsive. "Guys!"

"Don't worry." Yosuke said. "Yu does this all the time. Maybe Ruby's got the same power."

* * *

Ruby was surprised to find herself in the Velvet Room, Yu at her side. "Welcome back." Igor said. "Ah, you have brought a guest. I am afraid that as he is not the Velvet Room's current guest, I cannot offer him my assistance. He is, however, welcome to stay."

Beside Igor sat a man with blond hair and yellow eyes. He wore a blue suit and hat, the color matching the room. Yu could not help but see a resemblance to Margaret. "You must be Theodore." Yu said, reaching out to shake his hand.

"I don't believe we've met, but yes." Theodore said. "I take it Ruby told you about me."

"Do you know Margaret?" Yu got straight to business.

"She's my eldest sister." Theodore replied. "I have not seen her in some time. My sisters always leave me in the most difficult situations."

"She sent my friends and I here, can you send us home?" Yu asked.

"I know what she did." Theodore answered. "Unfortunately, the skills she used are far beyond my ability. She did not simply transport you through space, but also altered time. That is also the reason for the change in the Fool. The normal flow of time is integral to the fusion of Personas and their use in general. I'm actually quite surprised you can summon your Personas at all." Yu looked disappointed. "Perhaps that is why you are able to summon Personas outside the shadow world now." Theodore observed.

"I'm sure Margaret will get you back home when we've finished." Ruby encouraged him.

"I agree." Theodore added. "She always spoke quite highly of you. She wouldn't cast you adrift on the sea of time without a way to bring you back." Yu was not so sure, but he would just have to hope for now.

"Before we go, she has the same power I do, correct?" Yu asked.

"The Fool, yes." Theodore replied. "No two guests have exactly the same power, but hers is of the same nature." He sighed. "Regrettably, the change in the fool means you both have the same limitation at present. I will be sure to summon you back here if there is any further change."

Yu looked troubled, and Ruby had some idea of what it was about. "Are you jealous?" She asked.

Yu seemed taken aback by the question. "A little I guess." Yu admitted. "I thought I was unique." He shrugged. "It's not a big deal though, I'll get over it." That admission did not seem to help him.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Ruby asked. He just sighed. "You can tell me."

"I'm just worried, that's all." Yu said. "We've been through a lot and there's more to come. After that, I have to figure out how to get home. I can't let my friends down. Without the full extent of my power, I can't help but feel weak, and that means I can't protect them the way I want to." The pressures of leadership, Ruby knew them well. Perhaps they had more in common than she had thought.

* * *

Yu and Ruby suddenly seemed to snap out of whatever trance they were in. "You really need to stop worrying us like this." Yang said, again giving her a tight hug. Yu explained to Ruby why the others had been worried and apologized for not warning them in advance. He then told the Investigation Team what he had learned about his Personas and Margaret.

"Well, four doors, four locks, and four remaining missing people." Yosuke said. "I think it's pretty clear what we have to do. We may as well stop worrying and get on with it."

"Let's do this." Chie said. She walked up to one of the doors. "This one seems as good as any." They passed through the doorway and were again transported to another world.

* * *

Again, the setting was totally incongruous with the place they had come from. Leaving an imposing fortress, they had stepped into an elegant mansion. "Why wouldn't it be?" Weiss suddenly said. "Of course this one's mine." She sounded very agitated. "They really know how to twist the knife!" She shouted at no one in particular.

"I take it this represents the place where you grew up." Yang said.

"What do you think?" Weiss glared at her. "This whole world is a sick joke." Weiss went on ranting as Ruby and Yang tried to calm her down.

"This doesn't look like such a bad place." Kanji observed. "She must be super-rich."

"Weiss is the heiress to the world's largest dust company." Blake explained. "She hasn't gone into much detail, but apparently she had a rather unhappy childhood. The company made her friends and family targets for…" Blake paused, wondering how exactly she would explain the White Fang. "…an extremist group. It made life very difficult for all of them." Blake could not help but feel somewhat responsible, even though she had not been a killer. "Apparently her father became very stressed and angry, so that surely had an effect on her."

"I can deal with this." Weiss said, finally calming down. "This is all an illusion anyway, right? Let's just get this over with."

"I wonder what kind of shadows we'll face here." Yukiko pondered. "In Ruby's forest, the shadows were based on Grimm, which made sense for the setting. What kind of enemies would make sense for a fancy mansion?"

"This place kind of reminds me of your castle Yukiko." Teddie said. "Maybe here you'll find..."

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to burn all the fur off of you." Yukiko threatened. Teddie hid behind Yu in fear. She turned to Team RWBY who were clearly concerned. "It's still a touchy subject. Even after facing and accepting my shadow, it's still a painful and embarrassing experience." She turned back at Teddie who was still cowering. "He brings it up too often."

"I'm sorry." Teddie said sincerely. His apology may have been genuine, but he was sure to make the same mistake again. It was just who he was.

"Let's get going already." Weiss said. "I'm sick of standing around and thinking about it." The others agreed and moved on.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ruby thought Weiss was acting a bit strangely. When they had first met, she was irritable and standoffish, but over time she had become more friendly and open with her team. She still at times used anger to cover her emotions when she felt they were inconvenient or unbefitting, but it was an increasingly rare thing. Now she seemed to be all anger and aggression. Ruby knew Weiss's childhood had not been the best, but perhaps it was worse than she had imagined. That would certainly explain her behavior when faced with the past. The 'why' did not matter so much though; Ruby was just worried about her friend.

"The shadows are avoiding us again." Rise said. The mansion was labyrinthine, and they had been forced to double back several times after running into dead ends. Still, they had encountered no shadows.

"You can bet they'll all show up when we have a tough fight though." Yosuke said wearily. He sighed. "Just when we need to be focused."

"We'll just have to deal with it." Weiss said angrily. "We're going to clear out this place, take care of the others, and then I'm going to give whoever is responsible for this the beat-down of a lifetime." She stomped along at the head of the group as they approached a large, ornate door.

"There are some strong shadows just ahead." Rise said. "I can't tell how many but they're waiting on the other side of that door."

"It's about time!" Weiss shouted. She burst through the door. In contrast to the tight hallways they had been walking through, this appeared to be a large ballroom. The door slammed shut behind her before the others could pass through. "What now?" She asked with annoyance, walking back to the door. "Hurry up already."

"The door's locked." Ruby reported. "It won't budge."

"Let me try." Kanji stepped up to the door and gave it a shove. Nothing. He backed up and slammed his shoulder into it. The only thing he got was a bruised shoulder; the door did not move an inch. Yang pushed him aside and gave the door a punch and shotgun blast from Ember Celica. It did not even scratch the woodwork.

"Can you open it from in there?" Naoto asked. "There may be a switch or something on your side."

Weiss examined the door. It looked like a normal, albeit fancy, wooden door. There was not even a lock on it. There were no switches or anything around the door either. "There's nothing here." Weiss said, exasperated. She pounded the door with the Myrtenaster's hilt. "I guess you'll have to find another way around."

"Weiss, there are shadows closing on your position!" Rise warned. "They're pretty strong."

"Wonderful." Weiss sighed as she turned to face the approaching shadows. There were five of them just across the room. They were humanoid in shape, but had dogs' heads and were ten feet tall. They carried delicate-looking but very sharp rapiers and wore the uniform of the White Fang. It made perfect sense. This place preyed upon a person's insecurities and fears, and as a Schnee, Weiss had quite a lot to fear from the White Fang. She had been raised to believe they were totally inhuman animals, so the fact that their shadows took a more animalistic form was hardly surprising. Weiss had worked hard to overcome the prejudice, but it was still a part of her.

"Don't just stand there." Ruby commanded. "We've got to try to break through this door." She, Yang and Blake attacked the door with everything in their arsenal. Ruby stopped and turned around and addressed the Investigation Team. "You guys should look for another way around in case we can't get through." They did not leave. "We'll be fine, go!"

Yu motioned for the others to go with him. "I'll stay behind to provide support for Weiss." Rise said. Yu nodded in agreement. The rest of the Investigation Team sprinted off in search of another path.

Weiss cycled Myrtenaster's chamber until it settled on fire dust. With a swipe of her sword, she launched a line of flame at the oncoming shadows. The flames engulfed one of the shadows, but it kept coming towards her. Cycling Myrtenaster again, she used her glyphs to slide forward, blade first, into the burned shadow. The high-speed sword thrust glanced off the shadow's chest and Weiss rolled to the side to avoid its counter attack. A second shadow ran up behind her and raised its rapier to deliver a blow. Simultaneously, the burned shadow began taking a second swipe. Weiss encased the second shadow in ice and dove between its legs. The burned shadow's attack landed on its frozen comrade, shattering the ice and knocking the shadow onto its back. Weiss raised Myrtenaster above her head, and grabbing it with two hands, plunged it into the downed shadow's throat. Weiss withdrew her sword and took a step back. The four standing shadows maneuvered to surround her while she carefully moved to prevent this. Then, to her surprise, the shadow she had stabbed in the neck stood back up, apparently having taken little damage from the normally fatal strike.

"Weiss, the shadows aren't immune to any type of attack, but they don't have any weaknesses either." Rise reported. Strangely, the voice came from inside Weiss's head.

"What am I supposed to do then?" She asked.

"You've just got to keep hitting them." Rise replied. "They're strong, but they'll go down if you do enough damage."

"We've got to get in there to help her." Ruby said. She, Yang and Blake were having no success in breaking through the door with their weapons. "Well, here goes." Ruby concentrated on the memory of her mother. She became engulfed in a brilliant blue glow as a tarot card appeared in front of her. She crushed the card in her hand. "Summer Rose!" Her Persona, the figure of her mother, appeared before her. With a wave of its hand, her Persona blasted the door with wind. The overpressure from the attack pushed Ruby and the others back. It had done nothing. They did not give up. They would keep pounding on the door until it opened or the others found an alternate route.

"Where's the weak one…" Weiss whispered to herself. As the shadows closed in, one of them walked with a limp, the one she had frozen and stabbed. "Let's thin them out." She leapt into the air and over the shadow's head, landing just behind it. She stabbed it in the back with all her might. It growled in pain and swung its sword around. Weiss jumped over the attack and used a glyph to launcher into the shadow. Myrtenaster pierced the shadow's chest and the shadow onto its back. Without withdrawing the sword, Weiss sliced up the shadow from the inside out. Finally, the shadow dissolved and disappeared. One down, five to go. The other shadows seemed alarmed by the demise of their fellow, but not at all deterred. While Weiss had been finishing off the first shadow, the others had managed to surround her. "Am I going to have backup sometime today?" Weiss called to the others.

"We're trying." Rise reported. "The door won't budge and the others haven't found an alternate route yet; they keep running into dead ends. Just keep fighting!" She encouraged. "You can do this!"

Weiss struggled to keep her eye on all the shadows, but this was difficult given that they had her surrounded. She had to change the tactical situation. It was unconventional, but used properly, dust could provide a distraction. Weiss threw up a handful of dust and ignited it. Rather than explode, it glowed blindingly bright. The shadows charged, enraged by the painful light, but only succeeded in slamming into each other. Weiss had artfully dived out of the way. "It worked once, it will work again." Weiss said. She tossed a vial of dust at the group of shadows and then hit it with a blast of fire from Myrtenaster. The vial produced a fiery explosion that engulfed the shadows.

It was not enough. The shadows were injured, but still a threat. Only the shadow she had previously burned and slashed was destroyed. Two down, three to go. One of the remaining shadows charged at her in a frenzy. Weiss leapt into the air, preparing for another airborne attack, but one of the other shadows caught her with its sword. It sent Weiss flying across the room and into a wall. She bounced off the wall and landed hard on her back.

A shadow approached, planning to deliver a fatal blow to the downed Huntress. It raised its rapier over its head and brought it down with tremendous force. Weiss rolled partly out of the way. The sword pierced her combat skirt and pinned it to the floor. Weiss spun around, still stuck on the rapier and took out the shadows legs. It dropped its sword and crashed to the ground with a thud right next to her. Weiss ripped her skirt away from the sword and delivered a series of powerful blows to finish off the downed shadow. Three down, two to go.

Weiss felt she had the upper hand now. She was hurting rather badly, but the shadows had been weakened as well, and now she faced only two. She circled and the shadows followed suit. Weiss no longer had to worry about being surrounded, and she was sure she could take on both at the same time. Weiss stopped in the middle of the room and the shadows approached her from opposite sides. They charged and she jumped out of the way. The shadows would not fall for that trick again. They stopped short of hitting each other and turned to face Weiss. She now had them in a line in front of her. With a jump and a boost from her glyphs, she charged the shadows, sword first. Myrtenaster pierced both shadows, and the momentum of the attack carried the trio into the wall where the sword pinned the shadows in place.

Weiss was taken by surprise when the shadow nearest her grabbed her with its free hand and threw her across the room. She had lost her grip on Myrtenaster, which remained firmly planted in the shadows and the wall. The shadow then grabbed Myrtenaster and pulled it out of its torso before tossing it aside. The shadow closest to the wall dropped to the ground before stumbling back to its feet. Weiss had landed in a less-than-ideal position and was in more pain than ever. Injured and without her weapon, she was vulnerable. Weiss needed to retrieve Myrtenaster, but the shadows were now between her and the sword.

Weiss charged at the nearest shadow. As it swung stabbed at her, she dove and rolled through its legs. The second shadow took a swipe, but Weiss bent over backwards to avoid the strike. The first shadow turned and tried to stab her from above, but she spun out of the way, causing the two shadows' swords to clash with one another, stunning the shadows. She ran slid, grabbing Myrtenaster as she slid past it. With a swipe of her sword, Weiss launched a line of flame at one of the shadows. It was engulfed in fire and dissolved. Four down, one to go. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster and encased the final shadow in ice. She walked up to it confidently and shattered it with a powerful kick.

As soon as the fifth shadow was defeated, the door swung open of its own accord, much to the surprise of the still attacking Ruby, Yang and Blake. "It's about time you all showed up." Weiss said, breathing heavily and bleeding from her nose and the side of her mouth. Her skirt was torn and stained with blood. "You have no idea what I just had to deal with." She was right. The shadows were dead and gone before they had arrived.

"Oh my, Weiss!" Ruby yelled, rushing to her side. "Are you alright?"

"I just fought five giant members of the White Fang." Weiss said. "They were persistent, but I think they learned their lesson." She stumbled over to a wall and sat down to catch her breath. Blake stood back uncomfortably while Ruby and Yang tended to Weiss.

"The White Fang?" Rise had never heard of them.

"That's the group that targeted her family." Blake said. She was not about to say anything more. She hoped the topic would not come up again.

"That makes sense I guess." Rise said. "I'll call the others back here while you all rest. You must be exhausted."

"Using a Persona is a lot harder than I expected." Ruby admitted. "It's almost as tiring as fighting myself. You guys must be in great shape." She sat down next to Weiss. "I'm so happy you're okay."

"Of course I'm okay you dolt." Weiss shot back. There was the anger to hide her emotions. "I'm a Schnee! A few shadows aren't going to stop me."

"It's a good thing you're a Schnee; you'll be able to afford a new dress." Yang said, pointing out the damage state of Weiss's attire.

"It's a combat skirt." Weiss said defiantly. She gave Ruby a high-five. Yang rolled her eyes.

The others arrived. With all the dead ends, they had not gotten very far away in their search for an alternate route. "Weiss, are you injured?!" Yukiko asked with alarm.

"I'll be fine." Weiss said defiantly. "It's just a scratch." It was not. "I'm more worried about my combat skirt." She was not. Yukiko went ahead and healed her anyway. Weiss could not quite describe the feeling, but it was warm, perhaps loving.

"Your skirt's ripped?" Kanji asked.

"It is." Weiss replied, not sure where he was going with the line of questioning. "So?"

"It's all bloody too." Teddie added. "You should take it off."

Yosuke punched Teddie in the back of the head. "Shut up you stupid bear." He sighed. "You shouldn't act all perverted with our new friends. Jeez." Luckily, Weiss had already mastered the art of ignoring Teddie.

"I'll fix it." Kanji said. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a sowing kit. He knelt next to Weiss.

"A sowing kit?" Weiss was perplexed. "You?"

"I like sowing." Kanji said. "So what?" He started to stitch the tear in Weiss's skirt.

"You just don't seem like the type." Weiss explained.

"I get that a lot." Kanji said with annoyance. He kept working. "There, that should hold until we can fix it properly."

"Thank you." Weiss said. She ran her ringers over the repair. Kanji had actually done quite a good job. She was not sure she could do any better, even in perfect circumstances. "This is really good." She admitted.

"It'd better be." Kanji laughed. "I've got enough practice. And if you ever want me to knit you a stuffed animal or something, just let me know. Just be warned, it'll be super cute, like give you diabetes just from looking at it cute." He looked proud of himself. Weiss just looked at him, not really sure how to react to that. Kanji looked like the kind of guy who would rob you in a dark alley or beat you up for looking at him funny, not someone who would spend his time knitting.

"You really need to be more careful." Yu advised Weiss.

"You shouldn't go running ahead like that." Chie said. "I did the same thing when I first entered the TV world. It was stupid of me and I was just lucky that Yu and Yosuke were there to save me."

"I know it's hard, facing your past, facing yourself." Naoto said. "Putting yourself in danger needlessly won't make it any easier." Weiss nodded. She was not going to apologize, that was not her personality, but she did feel bad about making them all worry. She also felt like an idiot for being so rash. It was not a mistake she would repeat.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I'm sensing a large concentration of power just beyond this door." Rise warned. The group had been walking for some time now since Weiss's fight. Weiss had recovered from her injuries and exhaustion, but she was still angry – angry at herself and angry at whoever was responsible for their ordeal. She was eager to fight again, but she was not going to rush in recklessly again. "Weiss, are you alright?" Rise asked sympathetically. Apparently Weiss had not been as successful as she had thought at hiding her emotions.

"I'm fine." Weiss replied. She was less than convincing. "I just want to end this."

"There's more to come after this unfortunately." Rise said. "The strongest shadow and the victim we're here to save are still some distance away."

Weiss sighed. "Let's just do this." She would rather have been just about anywhere else in the world, but she had to see this through. It was not just about saving the victim or helping her friends, Weiss needed to prove to herself that she had changed. She needed to prove to herself that she was strong enough to face her past.

"Alright then." Yosuke said as he slowly eased the door open. "Here we go." The group raced in, ensuring they would not be separated. The room was another large ballroom-like space, containing eleven shadows. The largest had the appearance of a bad caricature of a queen. It was at least fifteen feet tall. The smaller shadows appeared as medieval archers, but without heads, floating masks in their place.

"The shadows make sense for a palace like this." Chie said. "Let's dethrone that queen!" Yang could not help but giggle and Yukiko laughed hysterically at the terrible joke. A few of the others let out an audible groan.

"This isn't a joke!" Weiss yelled furiously. Yang's smile disappeared and Yukiko stopped laughing immediately. "How can you joke around while I'm in this hell?!" An awkward silence followed.

"Let's go already!" Yang decided the best way to break the silence was to start the attack. She charged forward, dodging arrows while heading straight for the queen. Yang leapt into the air and cocked her arm to deliver a flying punch to the queen's face. Yang's fist slammed into the queen, and she followed up the first thundering blow with a series of frenzied punches. The queen swatted her away with its scepter. Yang tumbled through the air but recovered in time to land on her feet. The archers took aim and fired a volley at Yang. She punched most of them out of the air with inhuman speed and precision, her aura protecting her from the rest.

"We've got to help!" Ruby shouted. She summoned her Persona and it charged at the archers. With a swipe of its hand, her Persona unleashed a blast of wind the sent the archers tumbling back. It did not kill the archers, but it stopped them from attacking Yang. Ruby's Persona unleashed a blast of wind at the queen. The queen laughed evilly and countered with a bolt of electricity. Ruby's Persona dodged the attack, but only just. The archers recovered and launched a volley at the Persona. The arrows hit their mark and Ruby's Persona began to fade into static. Ruby doubled over in pain. It was the first time her Persona had been attacked directly, and she was surprised at how much physical pain it had caused.

Yukiko summoned her Persona and unleashed a wave of fire at the group of shadows. It seemed to heal them. "Fire's no good." Yukiko warned. Unfortunately, her attack had returned the shadows to full strength. Yang charged the archers, but they were too fast, easily dodging her attacks while returning fire. The queen laughed and hit Yang in the back with a bolt of electricity. Yang shouted in pain and retreated, unable to keep fighting under the current conditions.

Blake fired Gambol Shroud at the archers, but the bullets bounced off harmlessly. Yu and Kanji launched electric attacks at the archers, but with little effect. Ice from Chie and Teddie was similarly ineffective. Yosuke's Persona launched a wave of wind at the archers, sending them tumbling much as Ruby had done, but it failed to defeat them. It seemed to be little more than an annoyance, but he launched a series of follow-up attacks. The queen hit Yosuke's Persona with a bolt of electricity, and it faded to static and disappeared. Yosuke fell to his knees in pain and struggled to catch his breath.

"Mahamaon!" Naoto shouted. Her Persona engulfed the archers in blinding light. When the light disappeared, the archers were no more.

"The archers are down!" Rise shouted. "Go for the queen!" As the queen possessed electric attacks, electricity was unlikely to work, so Yu and Kanji were effectively sidelined. Yukiko was busy tending to Yosuke and Ruby, who were both injured. Yang rushed in and unleashed a flurry of punches on the queen, but the queen again swatted her away. Naoto stepped up, her Persona launching dark and light attacks on the queen, but it was immune.

Chie and Teddie unleashed a blast of ice at the queen. The queen cried in pain, but countered with dual blasts of electricity, directed at the two. Chie and Teddie braced to endure the onslaught, but they could not attack any longer. "It's weak to ice!" Rise encouraged. "Keep hitting it!" Blake charged up to the queen and began slashing it with Gambol Shroud. The queen responded by raising its scepter and bringing it down to slam Blake into the ground. Blake dodged away at the last moment, leaving behind a shadow with her semblance. Thanks to the proper application of dust, Blake's semblance trapped the queen's scepter in ice. Blake returned to slashing the queen and Yang joined the assault, unleashing a series of punches and shotgun blasts.

The queen, enraged, wrenched its scepter free from the ice and swung it wildly at its attackers. Blake and Yang were thrown aside as the queen charged at Teddie's and Chie's Personas. It smashed its scepter into them, causing them to fade to static and disappear. The queen continued its rampage, heading for the now helpless and injured Chie and Teddie. Weiss ran forward and used her glyphs to create a sheet of ice beneath the queen's feet. The queen slipped and slammed to the ground on its back. Blake and Yang charged at the queen, delivering a series of devastating blows as Weiss kept it trapped in place by encasing its limbs in ice. After a sustained assault, the shadow queen dissolved and disappeared.

Yukiko had a lot of healing to do in the wake of the battle. Yosuke, Ruby, Chie and Teddie were all pretty beat up, and it took a lot of energy for Yukiko to get them back on their feet. "I think Teddie's going to have to take over the healing for now." Yukiko said, catching her breath. "I don't think we can afford another battle like that."

"It was rough, but we beat them." Yang said confidently. "Blake and I make a good team, and Naoto did a great job with the archers." She paused before turning to Weiss. "I think the MVP goes to Weiss for this one though. Without that ice we'd have been in trouble. That's two in a row now; you seem to fight better when you're angry." Weiss was not sure how to feel about that comment.

"Weiss, I'm really sorry about before." Chie said meekly. "I just thought everyone needed a little cheering up."

"It's alright." Weiss said. "I know you didn't mean any harm. I'm just on edge right now."

"I don't know how that's any different from normal." Ruby joked. Blake and Yang chuckled. Weiss glared at them. "Too soon? Sorry."

* * *

"This is it." Rise said. "The victim and the most powerful shadow are just through this door. I can already sense the other shadows preparing to attack us as well."

"Now we know their tactics." Naoto said. "If Team RWBY can handle the shadow in there, we can hold back the others here."

"Sounds like a plan." Yang said.

"Weiss, are you going to be okay?" Ruby asked.

"Let's just get it over with." Weiss replied as she pushed the door open. It opened into a large room with staircases on either side leading to an upper balcony. A figure stood in the shadows on the upper level.

"That's the shadow." Rise warned. "Don't listen to what it says Weiss."

"Show yourself!" Weiss shouted. The shadow walked over to the balcony railing. It had the appearance of an older man. "Of course it's you." Weiss groaned. It had taken on the appearance of her father.

"Weiss, how nice to see you." The shadow responded. "It's been too long. You never call, you never write."

"If I wanted hostility, I would go to a meeting of the White Fang." Weiss replied.

"Well, excuse me." The shadow laughed. "It seems my hostility was more than warranted."

"Why should we bother with this part?" Yang asked. "Attack!" She rushed at the shadow.

"Not so fast young lady." The shadow said casually. With a wave of its arm, Yang was thrown back by an unseen force. "You'll hear me out." It returned its attention to Weiss. "I thought I had done a better job raising you. What a waste of money it turned out to be. First, you go to that dreadful academy, and then you fail to even become a team leader. You can't even match a child!"

"I don't need to be the leader to be successful." Weiss countered. She was already falling into the shadow's psychological trap.

The shadow ignored her. "The other members of you pathetic team are just as disgraceful. You've got that hot-headed whore and of all things a Faunus!" The shadow walked over to a glass case. A person was inside, apparently unconscious. It must have been the victim they were here to save. "Take this one for instance. I offered him an honest job in my quarry, but honest work was too much for him, so he ran away. That Faunus you call a friend is no different. She's run away before, and she'll do it again. That is if she doesn't stick a knife in your back first. You have no idea of the things she's done to our family do you?"

"Blake is my friend, our friend!" Weiss shouted angrily. "She would never betray us. I don't care about her past, she's changed."

"You're such a fool." The shadow said. "No matter how much you may wish it weren't the case, you're still a Schnee and she's still a Faunus. You'll always be enemies, it's your fate."

"The only fate I believe in is the fate I make for myself." Weiss protested. "Enough of this! Fight us!"

"Gladly." The shadow replied. With that it dissolved into a black mass and oozed down to the lower level. It reformed as a giant knight astride an armored horse, armed with an enormous sword.

Ruby briefly looked back at the Investigation Team. They were busy fighting the predicted tide of shadows. Shadows in the form of those they had faced previously accompanied my more grotesque visages waged an unceasing assault. "We've got to finish this." Ruby said. The Investigation Team would only be able to hold out for so long. "Summer Rose!" Ruby summoned her Persona and it charged the knight. The knight pointed its halberd at the Persona and unleashed a torrent of that completely encased Ruby's Persona. The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt. She quickly lost consciousness. She had not known it, but her Persona was vulnerable to ice.

"Ruby, no!" Weiss yelled. Ruby lay still just in front of the shadow. Weiss rushed to her side and picked her up. The shadow raised its sword and prepared to bring down a crushing blow on the two of them. Just before it came crashing down, Yang slammed into the two of them, sending Ruby and Weiss flying across the room. The sword slammed down on Yang, pounding her into a crater in the floor.

A confident laugh emanated from the crater. "You'll have to do better than that!" Yang yelled. Engulfed in flame, she leapt from the crater and into a furious attack on the knight. The hit had only made her stronger. The knight swatted her away like a fly, but she jumped back to her feet and attacked again. Blake joined in, attacking the knight with her sword. Their combined attack kept the shadow occupied, but was doing little damage. Yang was hitting hard, but the shadow was hitting harder. She was near her breaking point. The punches she was landing were clearly doing damage, denting the shadow's armored plates, but she was hurting just as badly. Blake could not get close enough to land any significant hits. Getting any closer would have been too dangerous for Blake, so she just tried to distract the shadow so Yang could get some hits in. It was not a sustainable situation.

"Ruby, please wake up." Weiss implored. She finally stirred.

"Weiss…" Ruby said weakly. "You can beat him."

"What about you?" Weiss said shakily. "I can't just leave you injured like this."

"I'll be fine." Ruby said. "They need you more than I do." Weiss still was not sure what to do.

"Go!" Rise said, rushing to Ruby's side. "I'll take care of her while you fight."

Weiss stood and charged the shadow. She slid under the horse component of the shadow as the knight slammed its sword down just behind her. She slashed wildly at the horse's underbelly, and it collapsed and dissolved, leaving only the knight component. Yang leapt in for another attack, dodging the knight's sword as it slashed at her. She failed to dodge its fist, however, and the attack sent her flying across the room and into Blake. The two tumbled to the ground, dazed. Yang had surpassed the point of gaining strength from taking hits; now she was just wounded and fatigued. Blake was in a similar state. Both struggled back to their feet and charged again. They were moving too slowly now, their injuries holding them back. The knight prepared to eliminate them with a powerful swipe of its sword.

Just before it landed, the shadow's attack met unexpected resistance. There stood Weiss, locked in place by a glyph, having caught the knight's blade with her own. Though the knight was easily four times her size, she held the knight's blade back as the two struggled to gain the advantage with brute force. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster, and using her glyphs, encased the knight's feet in ice, trapping it in place. With Yang and Blake safely out of the way, she stopped resisting the shadow's sword, causing it to swing and overreach. Twisted into an unusual position, the shadow's armored plates pulled away from one another along its side to reveal the soft body underneath. Weiss charged in and stabbed furiously. Yang and Blake joined the attack, pounding the knight's weak spot. Finally, the shadow collapsed and dissolved before exploding with a blinding light. The torrent of shadows attacking the Investigation Team retreated.

Weiss stood where the shadow had been, struggling to catch her breath. She was engulfed in a purple light. A tarot card descended in front of her and shattered. The figure of a female knight, clad in golden armor and carrying a sword made of ice appeared above her. "Ananke." Weiss whispered her Persona's name. Suddenly drained of energy, she fell to her knees. Yang and Blake rushed to her side. "Is Ruby alright?" She asked weakly.

"I'm okay." Ruby said. She had been healed by Teddie once the Investigation Team was done dealing with the attacking shadows.

"I'm sorry Ruby." Weiss said.

"It's alright, I'm not hurt." Ruby said cheerfully.

"It's not that." Weiss replied. "I'm sorry for resenting you for being the leader."

"It's not a big deal." Ruby said. "We've already been through this. As long as we both do our best, it doesn't matter who the leader is. We can take on any challenge as a team."

"Blake, I'm sorry my shadow said those terrible things about you and the Faunus." Weiss said sadly. "I guess, deep down, that feeling still exists in me."

"Neither of us can change our past." Blake said. "We can only control the present. I know you don't really believe that now, so what does it matter? We all have thoughts we're not proud of."

"Uh, what's a Faunus?" Yosuke asked. "I've heard it a few times now."

"It's a bit hard to explain." Yang said, scratching the back of her neck. "In this world, some people have animal parts, if that makes sense. They're called Faunus." Yang looked to Blake for a better explanation.

"I guess there's no point hiding it now." Blake sighed. She took off her bow, revealing her cat ears. "I'm a Faunus. We often face discrimination. The White Fang is a terrorist group that fights for the Faunus. They used to be peaceful, only interested in equal rights, but they've changed."

"Your cat ears are so cute!" Rise said enthusiastically. The attention made Blake uncomfortable.

"Do you have any other animal parts?" Teddie asked suggestively. That made Blake even more uncomfortable.

Yosuke smacked Teddie. "What did I tell you earlier? Sheesh, can't you ever stop being a pervert?" Yosuke turned to Blake who was tying her bow back on. "I'm really sorry."

"I'm sorry to hear about the Faunus' plight." Naoto said seriously. "Discrimination of that sort is deplorable."

"We should really leave." Yukiko interrupted. "Weiss really needs to rest. We can continue this conversation later."

The group freed the victim from the glass case and headed for the exit. He was fine and told the same story as the dust shop owner. Upon exiting Weiss's mansion, the portal shattered and disappeared, and one of the four remaining locks on the large door opened. They were one step closer, but still had no idea who might be responsible for the disappearances or the shadows.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ruby's scroll beeped. She pulled it out of her pocked and slid it open. It was an incoming call from an unknown number. She answered it hesitantly. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Theodore. Please come to the Velvet Room at your earliest convenience. There is something we must discuss. Please bring Yu as well."

"How did you get this number?" Ruby asked.

"Number?" Theodore was confused. "Why would I need a number? I am perfectly capable of reaching your communications device using my mind. I apologize if this call interrupted or startled you."

"It's fine." Ruby replied. "I just wasn't expecting this. Why do you need to see me?"

"There has been another change in the Fool." Theodore explained. "Please come to the Velvet Room with Yu so we can discuss this in detail."

"Alright, we're already on our way to the shadow world." Ruby said. "We'll see you soon."

* * *

"It seems the properties of the Fool are different than expected." Theodore said. Ruby and Yu sat across the table from him in silence. "As Yu can explain, the Fool is powered by the bonds made with others. The Fool's strength reflects the wielder's strength of heart. Normally, these bonds are formed over time and gradually build until they unlock their full potential. That no longer seems to be the case." Theodore sighed. "The cause is unknown. Perhaps the cause is Margaret's alteration of time. Perhaps it is a property of this world. The cause may exist within your own heart."

"What does it all mean?" Ruby asked.

"It seems you have unlocked the completed bond of the Wheel of Fortune." Theodore replied. "Your friend Weiss is of this arcana, and it seems that when she gained her Persona, you awakened the full potential of this arcana in yourself."

"How does this affect me?" Ruby inquired.

"It has unlocked the use of more than one Persona." Theodore answered. "In addition to your original Persona, Summer Rose, you have gained access to a Persona of the Fortune arcana. Yu has as well."

"How many Personas?" Yu asked.

"One." Theodore replied.

"Just one?" Yu was surprised. He had access to many Personas of the Fortune arcana when he was in Inaba.

"Yes, Margaret's alteration of time is still a limiting factor, but you both now have access to the Persona Norn." Theodore said. "I understand that you have wielded this Persona in the past, but it is not quite the same. Its properties and abilities are somewhat different. Perhaps it is Ruby's influence that has changed it. Your fates appear to be inextricably linked."

"What does that mean?" Yu asked.

"I cannot say for sure, but the two of you are definitely connected." Theodore said. "Ruby, if you continue to awaken new bonds, Yu will gain access to the same benefits you unlock for yourself."

* * *

"Well, I guess it's time to try the next portal." Yang said. She turned to Blake. "I wonder which one of us gets to suffer this time."

"I'm relieved to have gotten mine over with, but this torture is diabolical." Weiss said. "All of you had to go through this?" She asked the Investigation Team.

"Pretty much." Chie replied. "It's still painful to think about, but I think we're all stronger for it."

"I think it helped make us better people as well." Yukiko added. "If I hadn't faced myself, I think I'd still feel and act helpless. Now I know I have the strength to chart my own path."

"Yeah, I just would've gone on hating myself and pushing people away." Kanji said. "I've got these guys to thank for helping me through it, but facing my shadow was what really got things going."

"Well, no sense dwelling on the past or worrying about the future." Yosuke said. "Right now, we just have to focus on saving those people and bringing the culprit to justice." He boldly stepped through the portal and the others followed.

* * *

They seemed to be on a train. Looking out the windows, they could see scenery flying past at an impossible speed. Lying around the train car were crates baring the Schnee Dust Company logo. "Oh no, Weiss, is this world yours again?" Ruby asked.

"It's mine." Blake said. "I'll explain later." The others looked at her with concern. "It's a part of my life I was going to have to face someday. I guess today is as good as any."

"It's alright." Weiss encouraged her. "The past is the past. What matters is the person you are now, the Blake that's my teammate and friend." Blake did not respond and an awkward silence resulted.

"Kouzeon!" Rise broke the silence by summoning her Persona. "That's different." She said after a few moments of intense concentration. "I don't sense any weak shadows here." She refocused. "We seem to be in the middle of this train. There's a very powerful shadow at one end and the person in here is at the other. There are a few other relatively powerful shadows as well. Something about the train seems strange, but I can't quite place it."

"We should split up." Yu advised. "We'll rescue the victim; Team RWBY can take on the powerful shadow."

"That sounds risky." Yang said. "We're stronger fighting together."

"That may be the case, but the conditions of this world favor smaller teams." Naoto observed. "The train cars are rather narrow. If we all attempted to fight in the same place, we would likely just get in each other's' way. Besides, we don't know if taking extra time will allow the enemy to summon reinforcements. Rise may not be able to sense any other shadows, but they could be hiding just beyond the range of her scans. If we give the shadows time, they may concentrate against us."

"That's a good point." Ruby said. "We'll do it."

"If either team runs into trouble, the other should be close enough to come to its assistance." Rise reported. "This train is only about twenty cars long. If it's okay with you senpai, I'll go with Team RWBY to provide support since they have fewer members." Yu nodded in agreement. "I'll still be able to provide long-distance help too."

"Let's get going." Blake said. She stepped up to the door leading to the next train car, Gambol Shroud drawn and ready. Yang noticed that Blake was trembling. It was subtle, but she was clearly worried about what she was about to face.

* * *

"There's something strong in the next car." Teddie warned. "I can smell it." They opened the door and moved into the next train car. The location was totally incongruous with the rest of the environment. Instead of a tight train car, the room appeared to be a giant version of a one, at least five times as large as would be expected.

"At least we'll have room to use our Personas." Naoto said. "Perhaps we should have all stayed together after all."

"It's too late to worry about that now." Kanji said. "Where's the shadow? Show yourself!" He shouted as he shook his fist in the air.

"Intruders detected." A robotic voice said. A red glow began emanating from the walls. As the team's eyes adjusted, they could see that the lights originated from humanoid robots that when still and unlit had blended in quite well. There were twenty of them. "Terminate the intruders." The robotic voice commanded.

The robots stepped out into the center of the area and began shooting at the team. Chie summoned her Persona, and it created a wall of ice in front of the team. Teddie joined in, using his Persona to reinforce the barrier. "We should be able to hold them, you guys attack!" Chie encouraged. The gunfire from the shadows chipped away at the ice, but they were able to repair the damage as fast as it was done.

Yukiko summoned her Persona and with a wave of its arm, it engulfed the robots in fire. It made no effect at all. "Fire's not going to work." Yukiko concluded. Naoto tried darkness and light, but it was similarly ineffective. All the while, the shadows marched forward toward their icy barrier.

"I guess I'll just have to punch them to death!" Kanji announced. His Persona charged out toward the shadows, sword at the ready. The shadows concentrated their fire on Kanji's Persona, riddling it with bullets. It was resistant to this sort of physical attack, but the volume was too much. Kanji collapsed in pain as his Persona faded to static and disappeared. Yukiko went to work healing him.

The robot shadows approached the barrier. It was still proving effectively bulletproof. All at once, the shadows stopped shooting. Their arms reconfigured and turned into flamethrowers. They quickly began melting the ice. "We won't be able to hold them for much longer!" Teddie shouted with alarm.

"I've got this!" Yosuke yelled. His Persona blasted the shadows with wind, but it only fanned the flames, accelerating their progress in destroying the barrier. "Damn it! Somebody try something quick." The barrier gone, the robot shadows advanced and blasted Chie's and Teddie's Personas with fire. Chie's Persona quickly faded to static and disappeared as she writhed in pain. Teddie's lasted a little longer, but it too was soon defeated, Teddie falling over with a thud.

The shadows' arms began to reconfigure again, back into guns. They prepared to gun down the now defenseless group. "Izanagi!" Yu shouted. His Persona blasted the shadows with electricity. The shadows did not appear to be damaged, but they were stunned, shaking uncontrollably under the onslaught. "Finish them off!" Yu commanded, still deep in concentration. Kanji was back up thanks to Yukiko's healing and he sent his Persona charging into the mass of shadows. Joined by Yosuke's Persona, they cut down the helpless shadows with physical attacks. The shadows melted and evaporated until there was nothing left.

* * *

"There's a strong shadow in the next car." Rise warned.

"We can handle it." Blake said confidently. She opened the door and stepped into the next car, the others close behind. This car was totally different than the others, at least five times as large in all dimensions. Nothing about this world made sense.

"This'll give us some room to maneuver." Yang said. "I just wish it wasn't so dark." They could vaguely see the outline of the space, but only indistinct silhouettes were visible when it came to any objects occupying the car.

"Intruders detected." A robotic voice said. Soon, one of the indistinct objects in the middle of the area began to glow red. "Terminate the intruders." The robotic voice ordered. The object resolved into the appearance of a Spider Droid. It looked somewhat different from the robot they were familiar with, but shadows rarely looked exactly like the things they represented. The shadow fired a cannon shot at the group as they dove for cover.

"Rise, hide behind these crates." Ruby commanded. "We'll fight it." Rise nodded and ducked behind the crates. As usual, Yang was the first to charge into combat, running straight at the shadow. The shadow's cannons coalesced into one and it fired a powerful blast at Yang, hitting her dead center. It sent her tumbling backwards, all the way back to the rest of the team. She jumped back to her feet and charged again.

"What are we waiting for?" Blake asked. She joined Yang in her charge at the shadow.

"We should use our Personas to fight the shadow." Ruby said to Weiss. "That way we can stay here to protect Rise as well." Weiss nodded in agreement and they both summoned their Personas. The Personas joined the attack, just behind Yang and Blake. The shadow's four cannons separated and began firing separate shots at each of the assailants, slowing but not stopping the attack. Real Spider Droids could not fire so rapidly, but the shadow seemed to lack that limitation.

Yang reached the shadow and jumped onto it. Holding on with one hand, she repeatedly punched it in the face with the other. It seemed to have little effect, though the shadow was clearly having difficulty getting her off. Blake slashed at the shadow's legs with Gambol Shroud, but was similarly unsuccessful. "It resists physical attacks." Rise advised. "You'll have to try something else." Blake was momentarily distracted. The shadow took the opportunity to slam one of its legs into her, sending her flying across the room and slamming into the wall. She was temporarily dazed but stumbled back to her feet and rejoined the attack.

The shadow reared up on its hind legs, pulled its front legs in, and slammed Yang into the floor with all its weight. It was a heavy blow and Yang was stunned. The shadow reared up again, this time positioning its legs to use them as blades against the wounded Yang. Weiss's Persona made a shield of ice above Yang, and the shadow slipped clumsily as it unexpectedly struck the ice. Yang took the opportunity to roll to safety, and Weiss's Persona persisted in its ice attacks, totally encasing the shadow. The shadow burst out of the ice, apparently unharmed.

Ruby's Persona hit the shadow with a blast of wind, knocking it off its feet but leaving it otherwise unharmed. Weiss abandoned using her Persona and hit the shadow with a blast of fire from Myrtenaster, but it was similarly ineffective. "Nothing we have is hurting this thing!" Blake yelled. "What do we do now? Rise?"

"I don't know." Rise replied. The shadow had resorted to firing cannon shots at the team, but was having trouble keeping up with them and repeatedly missed. One of the shots struck a crate which caused a booming explosion. "What was that?!" Rise shouted, alarmed.

"The crates must be full of dust!" Weiss concluded. "I've got a plan. Ruby, use your Persona to push the shadow over there." She pointed to a sizable stack of crates near a wall on the far side of the train car. With a tremendous blast of wind, Ruby's Persona sent the shadow tumbling into the stack of crates. Using Myrtenaster, Weiss hit the crates with a blast of fire. The result was a thunderous explosion. The shadow was sent flying across the room. It slammed into another stack of crates which exploded from the shock, shattering the shadow into innumerable pieces which then dissolved and disappeared.

"You had me hiding behind a bomb!" Rise screamed angrily.

"Sorry, I didn't know." Ruby said meekly.

"Don't worry about it." Rise said, her emotion shifting to happiness with swiftness to be expected from a trained actress. "Great job on that shadow. You guys make an awesome team!" There was no disputing that.

"That was a tough fight." Weiss said. "I'm a bit concerned about what we'll have to face next."

"That wasn't so bad." Yang said confidently. "I barely broke a sweat. I'm sure we can handle whatever else we have to face here." Blake stared into the distance, a look of worry on her face. "What's the matter?"

"It's nothing." Blake lied. "I was just thinking about what we'll fight next." Yang knew she was not being truthful. Something else was clearly bothering her. Yang also knew she was unlikely to get anywhere by pressing Blake further.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Hey Weiss." Ruby said.

"What is it?" Weiss asked.

"I was just wondering what powers your Persona has." Ruby replied.

"It has ice attacks." Weiss said. "It has some physical attacks too."

"It's weak to fire." Rise warned.

"Mine has wind and physical powers." Ruby said. "My second Persona has wind attacks too, but it also has healing abilities."

"You have a second Persona?" Yang asked. "How'd you get it?"

"I don't really know." Ruby answered. "I got it when Weiss got hers. It has something to do with bonds and strength of heart. I don't really understand it, but Yu seems to know. He got the same second Persona. Theodore told us our fates were linked."

"Who's Theodore?" Blake asked.

"He helps Yu and I in the Velvet Room." Ruby replied.

"Velvet Room?" Weiss was confused.

"Oh, right, you don't know." Ruby said. "When I space out back at the entrance to this place, my mind is in a place called the Velvet Room. I think that's how it works. I see a door, and when I open it, I'm transported there. Theodore helps me and Yu with our Personas there."

"Why can't we see it?" Weiss asked. "I even have a Persona."

"I really don't know for sure." Ruby said. "It's something about having the power of the Fool."

"The Fool huh?" Yang said. "Sounds about right."

"Hey!" Ruby protested. "It's my Persona type. Weiss has Fortune."

"We already knew that, heiress." Blake said.

"No, the Wheel of Fortune." Ruby explained. "My second Persona is also Fortune type."

"I don't get it." Yang said. "Oh well, it's not important. We've got more important things to worry about."

* * *

Teddie sniffed the air. "Yep, there's definitely a person and a strong shadow in the next room." He announced.

"Is it just one shadow or a bunch like the last time?" Yosuke asked. "I don't need another surprise."

"I think it's just one." Teddie replied. "It's really big though." There was no point in discussing it any further. They opened the door and entered the next train car. Again, it was impossibly large. At the far end of the room, they could see the person they were here to save. She way laying atop a pile of crates.

"Holy crap!" Yosuke exclaimed. "Is that a mech?!" Indeed it was. The shadow had taken the form of an Altesian Paladin, though they would not have known that. It was not an exact replica, this one was much larger.

"Izanagi!" Yu summoned his Persona. It delivered a powerful jolt of electricity to the shadow. The hope was it would react like the shadow robots they had faced earlier. It did not. Instead of stunning or hurting it, the electricity seemed to overcharge the shadow. It now charged at the group with blinding speed. Chie and Teddie summoned their Personas, building a wall of ice to block the shadow's path. It just lowered its shoulder and smashed right through. They refocused their attacks to freeze the shadow's legs together. It worked, causing the shadow to trip and crash to the ground. They proceeded to totally encase it in ice. The shadow broke out of its frozen prison, apparently unhurt.

"We've got to back it up." Naoto said. "If it corners us we'll be in trouble."

"Norn!" Yu shouted, summoning his second Persona. It took the form of a clock, surrounded by three angelic figures. It unleashed a blast of wind that staggered the shadow. Yosuke joined in with his Persona and together they were able to push the shadow back.

"Light and darkness aren't working." Naoto said.

"Fire's no good either." Yukiko added. With the shadow at a safe distance, Chie and Teddie went back to freezing the shadow's legs in place. Kanji's Persona charged the shadow, dodging bullets as it went. It engaged the shadow in a close-quarters fight, trading punches with it. Neither made much of an effect on the other. The shadow changed tack and fired a rocket straight into the chest of Kanji's Persona, staggering it. The shadow took the opportunity to pick up the Persona and throw it across the room. Kanji's Persona slammed into a pile of crates that exploded on contact. Kanji writhed in pain and fell to the ground as his Persona faded away.

The shadow turned its focus to the team. Their Personas were clearly of little threat to it. It crouched and fired a salvo of rockets at the group. "Shield of Justice!" Naoto shouted. A glittering shield of light appeared over the team. The rockets slammed into the shield and exploded harmlessly. The shield disappeared and Naoto dropped to her knees in exhaustion. "I won't be able to do that again." She warned.

"We can't even hurt this thing, what are we supposed to do?" Chie asked frantically.

"We should grab the victim and run." Yu said. "Chie and Teddie, hold it in place, Yosuke and I will distract it. Yukiko, use your Persona to grab the victim and bring her to us." Chie and Teddie froze the shadow's legs together while Yu and Yosuke attacked with their Personas. Using speed, they managed to avoid being hit but did little damage. Yukiko's Persona scooped up the victim and carried her over to the group.

"Damn, the door's locked." Naoto yelled. "I don't think we can leave until we defeat it."

The victim was beginning to regain consciousness. She looked around, clearly shocked by what she was seeing. "What's going on?" She asked.

"We're here to save you." Yukiko said. "We've got to defeat that thing though, and our attacks don't seem to be having any effect." The victim struggled to her feet. She still looked a bit wobbly. She stared at the shadow and reached out her hand, seemingly concentrating on it. The shadow froze. No, it was still moving, just very slowly. "How are you doing that?" Yukiko asked.

"It's my semblance." The victim strained. She seemed pained beyond her intense concentration. "I can slow time. Those crates are full of dust correct?" She asked without taking her eyes off the shadow.

"I think so, they explode when hit." Yosuke said. "Why?"

"Use your powers to surround the enemy with the crates." The victim commanded. Yosuke, Yu and Yukiko used their Personas to pile crates all around the shadow until it was almost totally surrounded. "Now hit them with something and cover your ears." Yukiko blasted the crates with fire. There was a blinding flash and a thunderous rumble. When the smoke cleared, the shadow was no more. The victim dropped to the ground in pain.

"Are you alright?" Yukiko asked. "I can heal you."

"I doubt you can." The victim said. "No one can." She grunted. "Grimm broke my back, and I've had to suffer through agonizing pain ever since. I had to retire from being a huntress."

"Ah, so you're the retired huntress that went missing." Naoto said. "The police file on your disappearance said hunter."

"Hunter is the general term." The victim said. "My name is Helia Anthos, and I'm very thankful you all came to save me."

"You know, for a huntress, you dress pretty plainly." Kanji observed. "The other huntresses we know wear some crazy stuff."

"I told you, I'm not a huntress anymore." Helia said. "I was never big on fashion anyway."

"Are you sure you don't want me to try to heal you?" Yukiko asked.

"You can try, but I've already tried everything." Helia lamented. "I even tried experimental dust infusions. Nothing works. The pain might die down for a while but it always comes back, as strong as ever." Yukiko tried anyway. Being healed was hard to describe. It was warm, perhaps loving.

"Any luck?" Yukiko asked. Helia shook her head. "I'm sorry I couldn't help."

"You all have already done more than enough to help me." Helia said. "You said you know other huntresses, are they here too?"

"We split up to cover ground more quickly." Naoto explained. "They're clearing the area of enemies at the other end of the train."

"Why are we standing here then, we should go help them." Helia said.

"No, it's our job to get you out of here safe." Chie said. "Besides, they can handle anything this place can throw at them."

* * *

"The shadow's in the next compartment." Rise reported. "It's really strong, so be careful." Team RWBY stacked up on either side of the door and prepared to enter. They burst through the door, but instead of encountering a large, open area like they had for other fights, it was just another normal train car. A man, dressed in black, stood with his back to them. The man turned around. He was a Faunus wearing a Grimm mask. "That's the shadow, for sure."

"Blake, I knew you'd come back." The man said.

"Adam." Blake said. "I knew it would be you." She drew Gambol Shroud and pointed the blade menacingly at him. "Shadow or not, he's a monster."

"No more or less a monster than you." Adam countered. "At least I'm not a coward. You won't find me running away, but that seems to be your specialty. You ran away from me, from the White Fang, from being a Faunus, and even from your own team. You're still running, running from your past. You can never quite escape it though, can you?"

"Just stop it." Blake shouted. "Quit this pointless talk and let me kill you."

"What fun would that be?" Adam continued. "I wonder if that Schnee bitch knows what you did. This is their train after all. Of all the attacks we made on them, it's interesting that you chose this one. You barely did any damage here. You chose to run away instead of finishing the job. Still, I'm sure you did more than enough to make the Schnee suffer."

"I never killed a soul." Blake said.

"You may not have held the blade, but you certainly set plenty of them up." Adam said. "I guess that's why you became a traitor to your race. Your pathetic conscience couldn't take it. So you buddy up to humans, and a Schnee! How could you? You know what that family did to us. They should all be exterminated, as painfully as possible. You used to believe that. Somewhere, deep down, I think you still do. Now's your chance to get one. I'll even help. Come now Blake, let's put down this Schnee dog."

"Never, Weiss is my friend." Blake yelled.

"Is she really though?" Adam laughed. "Would she still be if she knew what you've done? Would she choose to side with you over her own kind? You know the truth. You'll always just be an animal in her eyes, and a dangerous animal at that."

"Blake, don't listen to him." Weiss pleaded. "We're on your side. I'm on your side. I would never turn my back on you. I don't care what you did. You're different now. I would trust you with my life. You helped me change for the better, now let me help you."

"We're done talking." Blake said, tears streaming down her face. "You need to die." Blake charged at Adam.

"This won't do." Adam said. Just before Blake reached him, he leapt straight up, smashing a hole through the roof of the train car. "This venue is much more appropriate." He called down to her. Blake impulsively rushed after him.

"Blake, wait!" Yang yelled, but Blake did not listen. "We need to go after her!" Yang and the others rushed forward and followed Blake and Adam through the hole in the roof.

"Rise, wait down here." Ruby said before following.

Ruby had expected to emerge into some bizarre arena, the way they had when fighting shadows earlier, but there was nothing special about this place. It was just the roof of a speeding train. Blake and Adam stared each other down, weapons at the ready. Blake was so angry she was shaking. It was subtle, but clear. She charged forward, shooting as she went. Suddenly, Adam dissolved before reforming into a gigantic Minotaur. Blake slid to a stop in front of the shadow, shocked by the sudden transformation. She had forgotten that it was not the real Adam. She froze. Her demeanor changed swiftly. Gone was the rage, replaced by sadness. The things the shadow had said did not come from Adam's mind; they had come from hers. Did she really believe those things? Could she really be that evil? Adam was a monster, but was she really any better?

The shadow took advantage of Blake's hesitation. With its giant fist, it pounded her down through the roof of the train car. Yang charged forward, leaping into a flurry of punches to the shadow's face. Laughing maniacally, the shadow grabbed Yang with its massive hands and began crushing her in its vice-like grip. Ruby propelled herself toward the shadow using Crescent Rose. She transitioned seamlessly into a series of slashing attacks to the shadow's legs. The shadow dropped Yang and swatted Ruby to the side with a swing of its colossal arm. She flew toward the edge of the train, but managed to sink Crescent Rose into the roof just enough to avoid flying off to her death. She flipped back onto the roof and, together with Yang, retreated.

"That really hurt." Yang admitted. Still, she was in a lot more pain than she was willing to let on. "I don't think hitting it head-on will do it." Weiss summoned her Persona and blasted the shadow with ice. The shadow pressed forward, unfazed by the attack. Weiss followed up by hitting the shadow with a blast of fire from Myrtenaster. The shadow was stunned but continued its advance. Ruby summoned her Persona and hit the shadow with a blast of wind. It reeled and cried in pain. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster and unleashed a wind attack of her own. Together, they blasted the shadow until it collapsed into a black blob. It did not disappear however. The shadow oozed down into the train car through the hole it had punched Blake through.

"Rise's down there!" Ruby yelled. "We have to protect her!" The three rushed down into the train car. The shadow had retaken the form of Adam, and was holding Rise by the throat. Behind them, Blake lay on the floor, apparently unconscious.

"Make a move and I'll crush her." The shadow warned. It appeared he was already doing so.

"Please, I can't breathe." Rise said, but not out loud. She said it directly into their minds with her Persona. "Do something."

Suddenly, a blade shot through the shadow's chest, just missing Rise. The shadow's grip loosened and Rise dropped to the ground, gasping for air. With a stunned look on its face, the shadow dissolved and disappeared, leaving Blake standing there, sword in hand. "I've wanted to do that for a long time." She said weakly before dropping to her knees. Blake became engulfed in purple light. A tarot card descended from above and shattered in front of her. Above her appeared the image of a woman, clad in leather armor and wielding a gilded longbow. "Diana." Blake whispered her Persona's name. With that, she fell to the ground in agony.

"Blake!" Yang shouted, rushing to her side. "What's wrong?"

"He only got one shot in on me, but it was a good one." Blake answered. "It hurts so much."

"I can help!" Ruby shouted. "Norn!" She summoned her second Persona. This one had healing abilities. The pain left Blake's face as Ruby healed her. Being healed like this was hard to describe. Blake thought it felt warm, perhaps loving.

"Thanks Ruby." Blake said, struggling to her feet. "I feel much better." She forced a smile, but she was not fooling anyone.

"I'm not worried about your physical injuries." Yang said. "By the way Ruby, if you could heal me too, that would be great." Ruby did so. "Blake, I know it's hard. You've had a tough life and you've done some things you're not proud of. We all have our regrets, but they're not important. What's important is that we learn from our mistakes. I know you have." Yang hugged Blake, a little too tightly for comfort. "Just know that you're not alone. We're all here to help you."

"I'm so sorry Weiss." Blake said, tears in her eyes. "I've done such horrible things to your family. I would absolutely understand if you wanted nothing to do with me."

"My family did some horrible things to the Faunus." Weiss said. "I think we can call it even, just so long as we keep working towards making things right, together."

Blake managed a genuine smile. "Together." She agreed.

"Me and Yang will be there too." Ruby said, having just finished healing Rise.

"Now kiss!" Teddie yelled.

"How long have you all been here?" Weiss asked, a little embarrassed.

"We got here when Yang and Blake started getting all touchy." Yosuke replied. "I've got to say, I'm a little disappointed things didn't get hotter."

"Shut up you perv!" Chie admonished. "Anyway, we rescued the victim. She's pretty awesome. Kanji and Naoto are waiting at the entrance with her. We should hurry up and join them."

* * *

"I'm Helia Anthos." She said. "I can't thank you all enough."

"I'm still disappointed I couldn't heal your back." Yukiko said sadly.

Ruby and Yu whispered to each other. "What if all three of us healed you at the same time?" Ruby said. "Maybe our combined powers could fix your back."

"Knock yourselves out." Helia said. "I've got nothing to lose." Ruby, Yu and Yukiko focused their Personas on Helia. Helia felt an intense burning in her back, feeling as though it were on fire. She felt a wave of something, she could not describe what, wash over her. Then it was all gone. She felt nothing. "I think it actually worked." Helia said, rubbing her back. She stretched and bent, going through her full range of motion. "Now I really owe you guys. How can I ever thank you?"

"Help people." Ruby said. "That's the best way to thank us." Everyone was taken aback. Ruby had proven to be wise and mature beyond her years, but it surprising all the same.

"Yeah, I can do that." Helia said. "Just do one thing for me. Get the guy who's responsible for all this."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Sorry we did such a bad job of protecting Rise." Ruby said. "We're not really used to having someone with us who can't fight. It's something we should really work on."

"Don't worry about it; she's tougher than she looks." Yu said. "I'm sorry for Teddie and Yosuke. It seemed like you guys were really having a moment and they ruined it." They both laughed.

"Coming with us Yu?" Yosuke asked as he and the rest of the Investigation Team walked past.

"Where?" Yu asked.

"We're all getting something to eat." Yosuke replied.

"How are you going to pay for it?" Yu asked. "I don't think they take Yen."

"Helia's family owns a restaurant." Yosuke answered. "Since we saved her, we all eat free! Sweet deal right?"

"Sure, I'll join you." Yu said.

"Actually, could you talk to us for a minute?" Weiss asked. "We just have a few questions."

"No problem." Yu said. He turned back to Yosuke. "You guys go, I'll catch up."

"Suit yourself bro." Yosuke said, walking away. "I hope Teddie and Kanji leave some food for you." Yu thought about saying something but decided not to.

"We were just wondering about the power you and Ruby have." Weiss said. She had been joined by Blake and Yang. "What's all this stuff about bonds and multiple Personas?"

"It's a bit hard to explain." Yu admitted. "The bonds have to do with the friendships we form, and that ties into our additional Personas. For example, as I got to know Yosuke better, and we became closer friends, I was able to wield stronger Personas of the Magician Arcana. It's a little different for Ruby and I now though. For some reason we only get one Persona per bond and the bond starts fully formed when one of you gains a Persona. When Weiss got her Persona, Ruby awakened the fully formed Fortune bond, and we got access to the Persona Norn. Now that Blake has her Persona, Ruby has the fully formed Priestess bond and we can wield the Persona Kikuri-Hime. At least that's what Theodore said."

"Maybe it's because we're already really good friends." Ruby mused. "If our friendships are fully developed, I wouldn't need to develop the bond to complete it."

"In any case, only wielders of the Fool arcana can have multiple Personas." Yu explained. "It worked differently for me back home too. I could use dozens of Personas, and had fully formed bonds for every arcana. Now I can only use the Personas Ruby has access to and my base Persona."

"So you formed bonds with all of them?" Blake asked. Yu nodded. "I thought so. You all seem like really good friends…and then some." Yu did not know what she meant by that but something about the way she said it concerned him.

"Naoto and Kanji spend a lot of time together, aren't you worried?" Yang asked.

"Kanji likes her, why would I be worried?" Yu was confused. "He'd never do anything to hurt her and he'd protect her with his life. I thought we'd already talked about it."

"Aren't you worried he'll steal your girlfriend?" Yang asked straight out.

"My girlfriend?" Yu said with a hint of concern.

"Yeah, you're dating all the girls aren't you?" Blake said. "It's pretty obvious if you ask me." Yu's normally stoic demeanor was momentarily broken by a flash of panic. Then it was gone. He could not think of anything to say.

"You must be packing." Yang said suggestively with a wink. Yu's stoicism crumbled again as he blushed and gave an uncomfortable laugh. He had been in some difficult situations, but could always find a way out. This time he had nothing. "Calm down kid." Yang said, slapping him on the back. "We're just messing with you."

"Yeah, funny." Yu laughed uneasily. There was a brief awkward silence. "I'm going to go eat now." He left.

"I think you broke him." Ruby said. "He's always so smooth, but you totally threw him." Yang and Blake just smiled.

* * *

Two portals, two victims, and two locks on the door were all that remained. Then maybe they would have their answers. Maybe they would find the culprit and find out why. Still, they knew it would not be an easy road.

"Doesn't that place look a bit like that bar you blew up?" Ruby asked Yang. They had just entered one of the remaining portals, and stood on a twisted version of a Vale street, a large nightclub looming in front of them.

"It's similar to Junior's club." Yang admitted. "Last time I was there, they didn't have a bouncer though. Two-story tall bouncers are hard to come by after all." Yang laughed. In front of the door to the club stood a shadow in the form of a two-story tall body-builder with what appeared to be metal skin. "There's no question this is my world. I can't wait to kick my shadow's ass and get my Persona." The confident smile on her face indicated that she was telling the truth. The other members of Team RWBY could not blame her for being confident. They could not imagine what her shadow could possibly say that would hurt her. She was always so self-assured and positive, just generally comfortable in her own skin.

With a shout Yang charged headlong at the shadow. She reared back and punched it with all her might. There was a flash of light and she recoiled in pain. "This again!" She yelled, holding her arm. The shadow kicked her, and she went flying across the street and into a wall. She jumped back to her feet. "Not much I can do here. It's up to you guys." She may have been aggressive to the point of recklessness, but she was not stupid. Any further attacks would only result in self-injury.

"Diana!" Blake shouted, summoning her Persona. With a wave of its hand, her Persona engulfed the shadow in light. When the light faded, nothing had changed. With another wave, a circle of darkness appeared below the shadow. The circle imploded but had no effect. "Light and darkness don't hurt it." She cautioned the others. The shadow went on the attack, charging at Blake's Persona. Her Persona blocked as the shadow delivered a powerful running punch. Blake doubled over in pain. Her Persona had not taken the full force of the attack, but it was still devastatingly powerful.

"We need to back it up to protect Blake." Ruby said. She summoned Summer Rose while Yu summoned Norn, and together they blasted the shadow with wind. It had almost no effect, not even staggering the mighty shadow. Yosuke joined them, but even the combined power of the three of them was not enough to do more the serve as a mild inconvenience to the shadow. I did give Blake the opportunity to fall back and get out of immediate danger.

Ice, fire and electric attacks from the Investigation Team followed, all doing little to the shadow. "It's resistant to everything." Rise warned. "You're hurting it little-by-little though. Just keep attacking!"

Chie tried to encase the shadow in ice, but it shattered its way through the onslaught faster than she could work. The shadow made its way up to her Persona, pushing through the combined attacks of the entire group. The shadow grabbed Chie's Persona by the head and slammed it into the ground. The Persona faded and disappeared as Chie fell unconscious. The rest continued their assault, but the shadow continued to rampage around. Naoto distracted the shadow with her Persona, using its speed to dodge the shadow's thunderous strikes, while the group formulated a plan.

"Your attacks are working slowly, like I said." Rise said. "They just don't seem to be powerful enough to break through its resistance."

"What if we combined attacks?" Weiss asked.

"We've never done that before." Kanji admitted. "How would we even do that?"

"It I hit it with fire from Myrtenaster, and Yukiko uses her Persona to do the same, we could create a serious inferno." Weiss said. "Then, if Ruby, Yu and Yosuke fan the flames with wind attacks, we could create a firestorm." The shadow managed to grab hold of Naoto's Persona and crushed it in its hands. Naoto screamed in pain and collapsed as her Persona faded and disappeared. Once again, the shadow turned its attention to the others. "Will it work?" Weiss asked with urgency.

"It could." Rise said. "Like Kanji said, we've never tried anything like this before."

"Let's do it." Yu said confidently. Weiss unleashed a constant stream of fire from Myrtenaster while Yukiko did the same with her Persona. The shadow growled angrily, but kept advancing toward them. Ruby, Yu and Yosuke hit the flames with a powerful and concentrated blast of wind. The fire and wind swirled, forming a tornado of flames around the shadow. The shadow struggled and lashed out blindly as it burned. The firestorm died down as the shadow continued thrashing against the flames until it dissolved and disappeared. With the shadow defeated, the door to the club slid open on its own.

"Is everyone alright?" Ruby asked. The group's healers had been hard at work, but everyone was back up and more-or-less healthy.

"Good, we're ready to go." Yang said confidently. "We shouldn't be rude; I think they just invited us in."

* * *

"This is definitely Junior's club." Yang said. The dance floor was occupied by two shadows. They were mannequin-like but had long, sharp blades for arms and legs. Their clumsy movement would have been comical if not for the deadly nature of their limbs. They noticed the intruders and began to stagger toward them menacingly. "Same warm welcome too." Yang laughed.

"I don't think fighting the up close is a good idea." Rise warned. "I'm not getting a clean scan, but I think they're resistant to physical attacks."

"Yeah, and those blades look pretty nasty." Yosuke added. He summoned his Persona and blasted the shadows with wind. They did not even flinch. Instead, one leapt into the air and spun toward his Persona at high speed like a shuriken. His Persona managed to partially block the attack, but Yosuke doubled over in pain nonetheless. "They're nasty alright." The shadow that had attacked Yosuke landed near Yukiko. She summoned her Persona and attempted to incinerate the shadow. It did no damage, but left the shadow's blades glowing red hot. It leapt into another attack on Yosuke's Persona. Again it was partially blocked, but this one hurt a lot more. "Why me?" He asked weakly but indignantly. He dropped to a knee in pain. "It burns."

"I'll fix that!" Teddie shouted. He summoned his Persona and hit the offending shadow with ice. It cooled its blades but did no harm. He tried to encase it just to hold it in place, but it spun rapidly, throwing large chunks of ice in all directions. One large chunk his Yukiko's Persona and she went down hard. The second shadow launched a flying attack at Teddie's Persona and landed a direct hit. Teddie stumbled, but his Persona just managed to endure the hit. Teddie withdrew his Persona and staggered to a safer position behind the others before the shadows could finish him off.

Blake summoned her Persona and it engulfed both shadows in light. The attack failed to injure them, so she tried darkness. There was a bright flash as the attack was reflected back at her. Her Persona instantly disappeared and Blake dropped to the ground unconscious. They were running out of options, and the shadows launched several flying attacks in rapid succession. Ruby managed to hook one with Crescent Rose as it flew past and redirected it into the other. The shadows collided mid-air and flew out of control, but sticking in a wall like darts on a dartboard. The shadows seemed stunned by the sudden counter, even if they were undamaged.

"Now's your chance!" Rise shouted. "Hit them with everything you've got!" Team RWBY rushed in and began thrashing the shadows with their weapons. The shadows struggled to free themselves from the predicament as the Investigation Team's Personas joined in the beat-down. Almost at the same time, both shadows managed to wriggle free from the wall. Spinning in place at terrifying speed, they forced the attackers to back off, lest they be cut to ribbons. "That didn't do much." Rise said dejectedly.

"Izanagi!" Yu shouted, switching Personas. His Persona unleashed a bolt of lightning at the shadows. The electricity arced between them and both dropped to the ground. "Kanji, let's finish them!" Yu and Kanji unleashed another powerful blast of electricity. The shadows glowed brightly before exploding. The remaining bits dissolved and disappeared.

Blake struggled to her feet. Even after being healed she felt a bit unsteady. "You've got to be careful with light and darkness attacks." Naoto advised. "If they're reflected, they can take you down instantly. My Persona's immune, but yours is not. You should let me attack first to make sure it's safe."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Blake said, rubbing her temples. For some reason, even after being healed, her head hurt rather badly. "Is it normal for my head to hurt like this after using my Persona?"

"Not really." Yukiko said. "It may be a sign of exhaustion, or it may be because you were knocked unconscious. Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine." Blake said. "I've been through worse."

"You should take it easy." Chie advised. "Getting used to your Persona can be tough."

"I said I'll be fine." Blake repeated in annoyance. She did not want to look weak or feel like a liability.

"Chie's right Blake." Ruby said. "You won't do us any good if you wear yourself out. You need to pace yourself." Blake did not want to admit it, but they were probably right. Still, she felt she could not afford to take it easy. They challenges they faced were extreme and required an extreme response. She could rest when they were done. She could take it. At least she hoped she could.

"Well, what now?" Kanji asked. "I don't see any shadows. You sense anything Rise?"

"Welcome to the club!" A highly distorted electronic voice boomed, seemingly coming from all around them. "It seems you've made quite the entrance. I hope you're enjoying your visit Yang. You are tonight's VIP guest after all."

"Who are you?" Yang asked angrily. "Show yourself!"

"I think you know who I am." The voice laughed. "You know me pretty well. Come on up and we'll have a chat." The group looked to the upper level of the club. Near where the DJ would normally be there was an indistinct figure, shrouded by darkness. "I'm just burning with anticipation." The figure laughed as it walked away from the railing and out of sight.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"That's definitely the shadow." Rise reported. "There's something strange about it though."

"I'm on it!" Yang shouted. She charged forward and leapt to the upper level before running out of view of the others.

"Yang, wait!" Blake called after her. She attempted to follow but slammed into an invisible wall.

"VIPs only." The electronic voice taunted.

* * *

The upper level was dark, and quite a lot larger than Yang remembered it. "Come out so I can kill you!" Yang yelled.

"I'm so glad you finally made it." The voice was no longer distorted. Yang instantly recognized it as her own. "I think it's about time we had a little talk." Her doppelganger stepped out of the darkness. "This should be fun. My last guest was so boring." She waved in the direction of a chair where there was a person slumped over, the victim presumably.

"I'm not here to talk or have a good time." Yang said angrily. "I'm here to destroy you."

"You always were self-destructive." The shadow said. "The voting's still open, but you're a lock for 'Most Likely to Get Herself Killed' you know. You're always charging ahead without thinking. Take now for instance. You've succeeded in isolating yourself from your companions." Yang looked back and sure enough, she was alone. "You couldn't even learn from your teammates' example." The shadow laughed evilly. "I wonder why you're even here. I guess the 'why' isn't that important to you anyway. Take being a huntress for example. You don't even know why you want to be, except that it sounds like an exciting time. Is that all you care about, having a good time? How shallow."

"That's not all I care about." Yang protested.

"Well, you care about your sister, but you're pretty hopeless at keeping her safe." The shadow continued. "For all your talk about protecting her and making sure she's never alone, you sure to disappear a lot. Maybe it's because you resent her. She's so honest, so pure, so determined to be a good person. She wants to help people; you just want to have fun. If the two goals overlap, you're perfectly happy to have her tag along. If not, well, you can always just do your own thing. She'll be fine without you, you hope."

"That's not fair." Yang objected.

"Having a good time's what it's all about." The shadow ignored her. "That's why you dress that way isn't it? It shows people you want to have a good time. Having the goods to make it really sexy is just a bonus. You don't need a guy to have fun but it does help."

"You're really pissing me off." Yang seethed. She took a fighting stance and stared the shadow down.

"You like excitement and I'm sure your companions do too." The shadow said. "Don't worry, I've got them covered. As for you and me, let's party." The shadow mirrored Yang's stance with a devious smile.

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Yukiko asked. "We shouldn't just wait around while she's up there fighting."

"I don't think there's much we can do." Yosuke admitted. "We just have to hope for the best and be ready in case we get a chance to help out."

The center dropped out of the dance floor, opening up a round hole. Luckily, none of them were standing there. A mechanical sound emanated from the opening. "I'd hate for my other guests to be forced to just stand around." The voice was no longer distorted. It was clearly Yang's voice, but the demeanor was totally wrong. It must have been the shadow. "My friend will keep you entertained." Slowly, a shadow rose from the hole in the dance floor. It took the form of the club's bear mascot, but like all things in this world, it was not quite right. Instead of a man in an elaborate mask, the bear head was fused to the body. Add to that the fact that it was fifteen feet tall and it made for an imposing enemy.

"We can handle this grizzly!" Teddie shouted enthusiastically. He hit the shadow with a blast of ice, but the shadow was unfazed. It lumbered toward the group menacingly.

* * *

Yang and her shadow charged each other. They exchanged a flurry of blows, all of which were blocked or dodged. Another series of punches had the same result. It seemed that fighting herself was more difficult than anticipated. An enemy that knows every move you're likely to make is a tough opponent indeed. Both cocked their arms for power punches before swinging and missing as they simultaneously dodged. Every punch, kick and head-butt met the same result. The combatants jumped back from each other to catch their breath.

Yang and her shadow raced at each other and leapt into diving punches. They twisted in the air and completely missed each other, clattering to the ground a few feet apart. They stood up and reared back to deliver thunderous punches. Their fists met between them and in a flash of light they were thrown back from each other. Yang stared down her shadow as she shook her arm, still stinging from the hit. Her shadow looked back at her, smiling while stretching its arm. Yang needed a new tactic. All-out assault was not getting anywhere, her shadow knew exactly what she would do and when. She would have to do something she would never normally do. What could that be? She thought for a moment and came up with a plan.

Yang ran at her shadow as her shadow charged her. Instead of punching when they met, she deftly dodged her shadow's strike. Then the next, and the next. An uppercut flew just past her face as she slid to the side. Her shadow loaded up a powerful punch and swung for all it was worth. Yang sidestepped it, putting her behind the shadow. She took the opportunity to punch it in the back of the head, followed by a combo to the kidneys. Counter fighting, she had never tried it before. Her shadow retaliated with another flurry, but again overextended. Yang swept her shadow's legs and forced it to the ground with a powerful blow to the chest.

* * *

"Electricity isn't working either." Kanji said. "Rise, what will it take to kill this thing?"

"I don't know." Rise said, frustrated. "I can't get a good reading. Something's really weird about this shadow."

"Wind's no good." Yosuke reported as the shadow shrugged off his attack. Blake tried light and darkness, but they too failed to stop the shadow. Yukiko blasted the shadow with fire and it cried in pain. "Kill it with fire!" Yosuke shouted. Ruby and Yu simultaneously summoned Kikuri-Hime. The figure of a woman dressed in red and white appeared behind each of them. Together with Yukiko, they engulfed the shadow in flames using their Personas. Weiss joined in with Myrtenaster and soon the shadow was flailing and screaming as it burned.

* * *

Yang's shadow was stunned, now was the time to finish the job. Yang lifted her shadow to its feet by the collar, jumped back and charged into a punch with all her might. Her shadow's face changed, taking on Ruby's appearance. Yang hesitated, stopping her fist just inches from its target. "Fooled you!" He shadow shouted triumphantly. It grabbed her arm and twisted it until Yang's shoulder dislocated. Then with a twist it flipped her onto her back with a judo-like throw. Yang hit the ground hard, and she was dazed. Just as she was regaining herself, her shadow punched her hard in the face.

Yang struggled to maintain consciousness. Her shadow lifted her up by the throat, reared back and punched her as hard as it could. She went flying through the air before tumbling to the ground. She landed on her face, motionless. Screams of pain from the bear shadow and a cheer from the others filled the air. "Sounds like they've activated my trap card." Yang's shadow said with a laugh.

* * *

The shadow burned and melted, but did not disappear. When the black goo that had been the shadow fell away, a human figure remained in its place. When the smoke cleared, it was clear that the figure was Yang, or more correctly, a shadow in her form. "Be careful, that shadow's really powerful." Rise said. "I think that's actually Yang's shadow. It's in two places at once. That's why I couldn't get a good reading." She paused and scanned more. "It doesn't seem to be vulnerable to anything."

"This may be a shot in the dark…" The shadow laughed. A black circle appeared below Ruby's and Yu's Personas. It collapsed, taking the Personas with it. They dropped to the ground unconscious. "Now to heat things up…" The shadow continued. A blast of fire slammed into Chie's Persona. The Persona faded and disappeared as Chie was knocked out. "I should cool things off…" The shadow laughed maniacally. Ice hit Yukiko's Persona, defeating it and knocking the wielder unconscious. "Shocking, positively shocking…" The shadow taunted. A bolt of electricity hit Teddie's Persona. He screamed as his Persona disappeared and he lost consciousness. Blake charged at the shadow in a rage. The shadow met her blows before knocking her back with a head-butt. Blake staggered, giving the shadow time to hit her with a series of powerful blows. The last one threw her back and into a wall. She struggled to her knees and tried to catch her breath.

* * *

"Looks like things have gone exactly to plan." Yang's shadow said, walking up to the prone Yang. "It's been fun, but I think it's time to end this." Yang's shadow stood over her and lifted its arm to deliver the killing blow. It slammed its fist down with all its might, but was shocked to hit only the ground.

Yang, now lying on her back, smiled. "Fooled you." She said weakly. She grabbed the shadow's arm and used it to pull the shadow to the ground. She rolled over onto the shadow's back and began pounding the back of its head with her less injured arm. She rained down thunderous blows until the shadow dissolved and disappeared. Then she collapsed to the ground, falling flat on her face.

* * *

"We don't have a chance against this thing." Naoto said. "I really hope this works. Megido…" Naoto was cut off as the shadow pounced on her Persona, pounding it with punches until it faded and disappeared. The others looked on in horror. They had no answer to the shadow's power. Then, suddenly, the shadow collapsed, melted and disappeared.

"Yang must have defeated it." Rise said. "Thank god."

"I'll go see if she's alright." Weiss said, rushing to the upper level. "Yang!" Yang lay prone, not moving. Weiss ran over to her and knelt down. She rolled Yang onto her knees. She was in bad shape. She had two black eyes, and her nose was bleeding badly. There were cuts all over her face, but it was impossible to tell exactly how bad they were because of all the blood. One of her arms was twisted at an unnatural angle. Weiss could not tell, but Yang had severe internal injuries as well. "Yang, say something."

Yang stirred. "I'm a tougher opponent than I thought." She said with a weak smile. She became engulfed in purple flame, and a tarot card descended in front of her. The card shattered and the figure of a beautiful winged woman, dressed in beautiful if somewhat revealing robes appeared above her. "Turan." She whispered the name of her Persona. She looked like she was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

"Stay with me Yang." Weiss pleaded.

"Is Ruby okay?" Yang asked. "Where is she?"

"She's…busy helping the others." Weiss lied.

"I think I could use some healing." Yang said. She was fading fast.

"The healers are…busy." Weiss said.

"You're a bad liar." Yang laughed. She coughed, producing a fine spray of blood that spattered Weiss's face. "I guess Ruby's not okay either. I failed her on both counts. When she recovers, tell her I'm sorry." Yang went limp.

"Yang, no." Weiss cried. Yang was still breathing but her breaths were becoming increasingly shallow. Weiss could feel Yang's pulse weaken.

"Tell her yourself." Blake said, limping toward them. "I've got this." She raised her hand into the air and her Persona did the same. Light emanated from her Persona's hand before spreading out to surround everyone.

When the light faded, Yang regained consciousness. "This feels a lot better." Yang said, seemingly in perfect health. She was still drenched in her own blood, but the wounds were gone. "Thanks Blake, I really needed that." There was no response. "Blake?" Blake lay on the ground. Yang raced over to her. "Blake, are you okay?" She was unconscious but breathing normally. Yang smiled with relief. "Thanks Blake."

Ruby rushed over. "Yang!" She shouted. "You're okay." She ran to Yang and gave her a hug. It was too tight for Yang's liking.

"It's thanks to Blake." Yang said. "She totally wore herself out healing me."

"I guess she healed all of us." Ruby concluded. "Let's get her to a place where she can rest."

"The victim should be right over here." Rise said, pointing. The others rushed over to check on her.

"What's going on?" The victim asked. "Where am I?"

"We're here to save you." Yosuke said. "Come on, we should get out of here."

* * *

"I'm Amber Kelly." The victim introduced herself. "Thanks for saving me. I know exactly how to thank you."

"Really, there's no need." Yu said.

"I insist." Amber said. "I hand-make match-grade dust ammunition. You can have all you need."

"Thanks, but we're stocked." Ruby said.

"Actually, do you think you could make ammunition for this gun?" Naoto asked, handing Amber her pistol. "I haven't been able to find any dust based ammunition for it."

"Wow, this must be an antique." Amber said, looking over the gun. "I can work with this. I don't know how much power you'll be able to get out of it though."

"That's not a problem." Naoto said. "Anything you can provide would be more than enough."

* * *

"One more lock, one more victim, then maybe we can get to the bottom of all this." Weiss said. "I'm ready for this to be over."

"Once Blake and Yang are rested up we can finish this." Chie said excitedly. "Then we can all go…home." She frowned, realizing they had no way to get home. The mood was suddenly heavy.

"Don't worry; I'm sure it'll all work out." Yosuke said, trying to lighten the move. "Come on, we shouldn't worry about that until we're done with the case."

"I'm more concerned about what we'll find in the next portal." Yukiko said. "We all have Personas now. There's no one left to face themselves. I wonder what's in there."

"Well, I'd have to assume whoever is responsible for this mess is behind the big door with the locks." Weiss said. "As for the last portal, I have no idea."

"We can handle it, whatever it is, just like the other ones." Kanji said. "Why waste time worrying about something we can't control? We'll get in there; kick the crap out of whatever shadows we find, and then move on to the bastard behind all this. We'll tear him a new one too!" Now that was something they could all get behind.

* * *

Naoto stood on Amber's firing range. She carefully took aim at the target and squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit the target and exploded in flames. "You see, I couldn't get more power out of it than that." Amber said sadly. "It barely even singed the target. Sorry I couldn't do better; the caliber is just so small."

"Don't apologize." Naoto said. "This is far more powerful than I anticipated. This is much better than firing a standard round."

"About those 'standard' bullets, I took a look at the ones you already had." Amber said. "I've never seen anything like them. They didn't contain any dust, and didn't even use dust as a propellant. Where on Remnant did you get them?"

Naoto considered saying they were from another planet, but she was not looking forward to having to explain that one again. "Like you said when I gave it to you, it's an antique." Naoto lied. "The ammunition came with it, so I guess they're antique as well. I couldn't tell you where they're from."

"Interesting." Amber said. "The propellant has similar explosive properties when compared to dust. It doesn't have the added effects though."

"Yes, the ammunition you've produced is quite a step up." Naoto said. "I think this will greatly improve my combat effectiveness."

"Look, I'm not going to pretend I know what's going on." Amber said. "Just be careful."

* * *

Yang sat a Blake's bedside. Blake's healing had not taken care of all of Yang's injuries, but she was fit enough to fight. Her new Persona would help take up some slack as well. Yang hoped Blake was not hurt. She had expended a lot of energy to heal the group, and had been pretty beat up from the fight herself. Yang blamed herself. She had raced ahead like an idiot and abandoned the team. Then she almost got herself killed – maybe she actually did before Blake had saved her, it was too close in any case – and forced Blake to take the drastic action that put her in this situation.

Blake's eyes started to open. She struggled to adjust to the bright light. "Wakey wakey Blakey." Yang said cheerfully.

Blake groaned. "How long was I out?" Blake asked.

"I'm so happy you're alright." Yang said. "I can't thank you enough."

"How long was I out?" Blake persisted.

"A little over a day." Yang sighed. "That's not important. What's important is that you're okay." Yang gave Blake a hug. It was too tight for Blake's liking.

"I would be better if you weren't crushing my spine." Blake said sarcastically. She still felt sore. Apparently she had done a poor job of healing herself. "And stop thanking me. You would have done the same in my place. Any of you would have."

"I'm sorry." Yang said. "I put you guys in the predicament because I had to rush off like a moron. I promise I won't do it again."

"Don't make a promise you can't keep." Blake said. "It's just who you are. You're always going to attack head-on. You'll always be aggressive. There's nothing moronic about it; it works most of the time, and your semblance feeds right into that. I should be the one apologizing. I did the same thing before, and I didn't listen when you guys told me to pace myself."

"Come on now." Yang said. "Don't tell me not to apologize for being myself right before you do the same thing. I'm just so glad you're alright."

"Same." Blake said. "Now, we've got work to do. We've wasted enough time already." Yang just smiled. She wanted to say something about taking it easy and being sure to rest, but she knew that just was not in Blake's personality. They were both constantly full-speed-ahead in their own ways.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Yu, can I talk to you about some things?" Ruby asked.

Yu had been listening to his friends discuss some potential battle strategies with the other members of Team RWBY. Their combined wind and fire attack had opened their eyes to new possibilities. "Sure, what's on your mind?" Yu replied.

"Actually, I'd like to talk in private if you don't mind." Ruby said.

"That's fine." Yu said. "Want to get some coffee?"

"Sure." Ruby answered.

* * *

"I'm really glad Blake and Yang are okay." Yu said. He sipped his coffee. It was not quite like the coffee he was used to, but this café was good enough. "I know how hard it is to see the people you love in pain." So far he was wondering why Ruby had insisted on speaking privately. Small talk was not exactly something to hide.

"I was actually going to ask you about that." Ruby said. Yu noticed that she had not touched her coffee. "We both got knocked out in that fight, and our friends had to fight without us. They got pretty beat up. When I came to, I was so disappointed in myself. I'm supposed to be their leader, and I was just lying there while they were fighting for their lives. My sister almost died. I feel so guilty. If I was a better fighter, they might not have had to go through that." She had tears in her eyes. "The same thing happened to you, but you just took it in stride. You're so strong. How do you do it?"

"I'm not that strong." Yu said. "My strength comes from my friends. I'd be nothing without them. I rely on them the same way they rely on my. If one of them is knocked out of the fight, I have to take up the slack. If I'm knocked out, I trust they'll do the same for me. The best thing you can do for your friends is to set them up so they can succeed without you. The leader is important, but so is everyone else. Removing one piece from the team shouldn't make the whole thing collapse." He was not sure he had actually answered her question. Ruby still looked sad. "We got our asses kicked, but we still won." He was a bit worried that sounded like something Kanji would say, but he was going for a pep talk here. "Your sister, your teammates and mine had the strength to overcome the challenge, even without their leaders. I think you've done a great job as a leader. You inspire them. They can't help but admire you, and I feel the same way."

"Thanks, I needed that." Ruby said, managing to smile. "I can see why everyone likes you so much. You always seem to know exactly what to say." She took the first sip of her coffee. It must have been cold by now. "So, are you actually dating all the girls?"

"It's complicated." Yu explained. "It's not as if I set out to make that the case, it sort of just happened. Chie always wanted to protect people, but I helped give her the confidence she needed to actually take a path that could let her do that. With my encouragement she decided to try to become a police officer. Yukiko felt helpless, but I helped show that she could do things on her own, but critically, that she didn't have to. She thought she wanted to run away, but I helped her see that was not what she really wanted. Rise couldn't figure out what kind of person she really was or what she wanted to do with her life. I helped her see she that there was no one real her, and that by leaving her career as an idol, she was running away from what she loved. With her I'm not sure it mattered, she seemed pretty…friendly from the moment we met. I helped Naoto come to terms with the fact that she's a girl. She felt like it was a problem because she wanted to be a tough detective, and her gender didn't fit the image. I think I'm the only person she feels comfortable talking with about her feelings."

"Wow." Ruby said. "That seems like a lot of work if you weren't even trying to date them."

"It's worth noting that I helped the guys out too." Yu defended himself. "I care about them all. They're my friends, and I'd do anything I can to help them. Romantic relationships are a pleasant side-effect. I can't imagine they're unaware of the situation too. I'd never hide anything from any of them, and I'd never intentionally hurt any of them. Unfortunately, I'm leaving town soon, so we'll be separated from each other. That's going to be tough for all of us." He frowned. "At least we got to have one more adventure together, and I feel like you and the rest of your team are my friends now too. You're an amazing person, and I'm quite happy I had the privilege of meeting you."

"You're something else." Ruby concluded. "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you." She took a sip of her coffee. Her facial expression suddenly changed and she almost did a spit-take. "Are we on a date now?!" She blurted out with alarm.

"Only if you want it to be." Yu said.

"Man you're smooth." Ruby said. She was blushing. "Uh, I think it's time we rejoined the others."

"Did I make this awkward?" Yu asked.

"No, I think I did." Ruby replied. "Let's just go back; I have some things to think about."

* * *

"I must thank you both for coming." Theodore said. "There has been an interesting development in regards to your powers. When Yang awakened her Persona, Ruby awakened a completed bond of the Empress arcana. You now both have access to the Persona Isis."

"The same sort of thing happened when the rest of my team got their Personas." Ruby said. "Why call us here for this?"

"That is not the interesting part." Theodore replied. "It seems you have awakened an incomplete bond of the Fool as well. Given the friendship you two now share, this is no surprise. What is a surprise is the result. Ruby, you now have access to the Persona Izanagi."

"That's my Persona." Yu said in surprise. "That's impossible."

"It seems that it is not." Theodore continued. "It is not unprecedented for a guest to gain the core Persona of another, though the circumstances that lead to this happening previously were quite different. I am very surprised that Ruby has gained access to your Persona while you are still living."

Yu was not sure what to make of that, but it gave him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Does that mean I'm going to die?" He asked.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry if my comments alarmed you." Theodore said, flustered. "In the other instance of this occurrence that I am aware of, the original possessor of the Persona was deceased when his power was taken on by one of his former companions. The situations, though similar on the surface, are actually very different. In this case, it seems that your fates are closely intertwined, leading to a crossover in your powers. At least that's the theory I find most plausible at present." Theodore paused for a moment, waiting to see how the guests reacted. "The link between the two of you has room to grow. If you continue to nurture it, it may unlock new powers."

"So, am I supposed to date him or something?" Ruby asked with concern. Yu was not sure if he should be insulted by her reaction, but decided to just let it go.

"That is but one possibly route." Theodore said. "Simply pursuing a stronger friendship would more than suffice. This bond is currently based on a mutual understanding of each other. Improving that understanding – however you chose to do so – is the key to the maturation of the connection between you."

"I don't understand." Ruby said, frustrated.

"Don't worry about it." Yu encouraged her. "I didn't understand most of the things they told me until I experienced them. You'll get it."

"Yu is correct." Theodore said. "These concepts can be somewhat opaque, but through experience all should become clear. You are both excellent guests and I have tremendous confidence in both of you."

* * *

The final portal, the final victim, the final lock were all that separated them from their goal. They entered the portal, eager to face the challenge ahead. This world was the strangest yet. They were surrounded by blackness. It was not dark, as they had no trouble seeing each other, but there was no apparent light source. The place was featureless. It could go on for miles or the next wall could be a few feet away. It was the sort of impossible place they had come to expect.

"The final victim is straight ahead." Rise reported.

"How far?" Yosuke asked.

"I can't tell." Rise said. "This place is weird. I don't detect any obstructions between us and her, so we should be able to see her. I don't know why we can't. There are some powerful shadows here, but they feel far away."

"I'm impressed." A disembodied voice boomed. None of them recognized it, but it was definitely a man's voice. "You're excellent fighters and work quite well together. Your resolve is so powerful I can feel it."

"Who are you?!" Ruby shouted. "What do you want?!"

"A fair question." The voice replied. "I am the one who created this world. The other worlds attached to this place may have come from your minds, but I am the one who facilitated their creation. I called those people here, the ones you have 'rescued.' I've watched your progress with great interest, and you have exceeded all my expectations."

"You're the culprit then!" Naoto shouted. "Show yourself so you can face justice."

"I will not be doing that." The voice said. "That said, I'm not a bad person, so I am willing to make you an offer. It is inconsequential to me if you die here or not, so the choice is entirely yours. You have played your roles and are no longer required. You have two choices. I am willing to give you what you want, that mechanic girl, and let you leave this place in peace. You will not be harassed, but in return, you shall leave me in peace. I will fix this wretched world, and you will all be witness."

"We're not giving up until we stop you." Ruby said.

"That is your second choice." The voice continued. "If you persist in your foolish attempt to stop me, you will face another trial in this place. I promise you it will be more difficult than any you have faced before. Remember that you barely survived the last trial. If somehow you complete that, the last lock will be opened, and you will have the opportunity to face me. If you do so, I will be forced to kill you, for I cannot allow you to stop me. The people of this world will have what they desire, whether you want them to or not."

"What desire?" Yukiko asked.

"I said I would fix this world." The voice explained. "There is too much despair, too much pain. I will put an end to it. That requires the merging of this world and the afterlife, but everyone will be much happier for it."

"I think he's saying he's going to kill everyone." Kanji said.

"That's a crude way to put it." The voice said indignantly. "Life as we know it will end, but a new, better life will take its place."

"You're insane!" Blake yelled. "That's not what people want!"  
"I am not going to argue with you any further." The voice concluded. "Make your decision. Live in peace and be a part of my new world or resist and die."

"We're going to stop you." Yu said.

"Yeah, we're not going to quit until we take you down!" Ruby shouted.

"Very well." The voice said calmly. "The die is cast." The voice paused for a moment. "Now then, I promised you a trial, and you shall face it. You've done an excellent job thus far, but I wonder just how well you will do without your leaders." The floor dropped out from under Ruby and Yu, and they disappeared from sight. The others rushed to where they had been, but there was no way to follow them, just a solid floor. "Don't concern yourselves with their welfare. They are fine, for now." The voice sighed. "There are still too many of you for my liking. You fight well as a team, but in smaller groups, things would be quite interesting." The floor dropped out from under all of them. They felt the sensation of falling, surrounded by impenetrable blackness.

* * *

Yu landed softly on his feet. He looked around, but could see only the same featureless place he had been in before. He was alone.

* * *

Ruby let out a slight yell as she began to fall. She was somewhat embarrassed to have been taken by surprise. She landed on her feet, the impact so slight it was as if she had only fallen an inch. Everyone else was gone. She was surrounded only by the same blackness she had been in before the floor had dropped out beneath her. She was alone.

* * *

Yukiko was nervous. Yu and Ruby had disappeared into the ground and then they had all fallen. Now they were split up. Yu and Ruby were nowhere to be seen, but Teddie, Kanji, Rise and Blake were there. The others were missing too. It appeared that they were still in the same empty space where they had started, and their fall, though long, had produced only the slightest jolt on landing.

"This sucks!" Kanji shouted angrily, shaking his fist at the air. "Why won't that asshole just face us? That coward must be afraid we'll kick his ass. Well he's right!"

"We need to stay calm." Blake advised. "The culprit wants us to be angry. When you let emotion take over, that's when you make mistakes. We need to stay focused. Rise, can you detect any of the others?"

"I can, but it doesn't make sense." Rise said. "They're right here. They should be right in front of us, in the same positions they were before we were separated."

"This whole place makes no sense." Teddie complained.

"Wait!" Rise shouted. "There's someone or something coming. This place is really messing with my abilities, but I definitely sense something coming toward us."

* * *

Yang was angry. She was sick of falling into traps, even if this one had been unavoidable. At least she was not alone. Weiss, Yosuke, Naoto and Chie were with her, seemingly surprised to be there. The others were mysteriously gone.

"Is everyone alright?" Yosuke asked. "Hey, where is everyone?"

"It seems we've been separated." Naoto said. "The culprit said he wanted us to be in smaller groups, and it seems he succeeded in making that reality."

Yang summoned her Persona. It held a fireball in its hand in an attempt to illuminate the space. It made no difference. There was something else though. "I think my Persona has a form of Rise's power." Yang said. "It's not as good, but I can definitely feel where the others are."

"Teddie's got a power sort of like that too." Chie said.

"Please don't compare me to Teddie." Yang said with a sigh.

"Well, where are they?" Weiss asked impatiently.

"That's the thing, I can only sense they because they're so close." Yang explained. "They're right here, all around us. Why can't we see them?"

"Perhaps this place is separated into several overlapping worlds." Naoto thought aloud. "Maybe we're all in different worlds that occupy the same space."

"So it's like they're in another dimension." Yosuke said.

"Not exactly, but that is a good analogy." Naoto said. "The culprit said there would be a trial. If we overcome it, it may allow us to rejoin our companions."

"I hope they're okay." Chie said.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

This was quite the predicament. Yu was alone and vulnerable. Still, there was no sense worrying about something he could not control. He would just have to find his friends and deal with any hurdles he would have to overcome on the way. He walked for a bit, hoping to find, well, anything. The place was featureless, and no matter where he looked or where he moved nothing changed. He was not sure he was even going anywhere.

Then he suddenly had the distinct feeling that he was not alone. He turned around to find a lanky man in a suit, sitting lazily in a chair with his feet propped up on nothing visible. The man spun a pistol back and forth around his finger. "You're really annoying you know." The man said with a familiar voice. "I think I've told you that before."

"Adachi!" Yu shouted. He felt fear as much as surprise. "It can't be. You're…"

"In prison?" Adachi finished his sentence for him. "Do you really think any prison in that world can hold me? They don't put bars on the TVs."

"It doesn't make sense, how did you even get here?" Yu asked.

"You really didn't think you'd seen the last of me, did you?" Adachi ignored his question. "Things didn't go well for me the last time we met, but this time you don't have your precious friends to save you." He laughed evilly. "As long as you've been gone, your uncle must be losing his mind with worry. I wonder how he'll deal with it when you never come back. And Nanako must be so lonely without _Big Bro_ to keep her company. Or to protect her. There are lots of bad people out there who could harm her. She survived her last brush with the TV world, will she be so lucky without you to save her?"

Something was wrong, and it had nothing to do with the fact that Yu was facing Adachi alone on another planet. That was all well within the realm of possibility as far as Yu was concerned. It was Adachi that was not quite right. It was in the way he spoke, and those eyes. "You're not Adachi, you're a shadow!" Yu concluded.

"Bravo." Adachi clapped sarcastically. "You figured it out. It took you long enough. I'm your shadow. I represent everything about yourself you want to hide. It just so happens that it lines up perfectly with Adachi. It was also pretty fun to see the look on your face. You used to be so calm under pressure, what happened?" He stood up and started pacing, still spinning the pistol around his finger. "Let's see, what buttons should I push? Got it!" He stopped spinning the gun. "Your friends, you care about them so much. But do you even really like them?"

"Of course I do." Yu knew he was playing into the shadow's mind games, but he could not help it.

"Well, I know what goes on in your head, so let's run down the list." Shadow Adachi said threateningly. "Yosuke, so enthusiastic but he's so annoying. He's such a tool. You wouldn't even hang out with him except for the fact that you can't get rid of him. At least he makes you look so much better by comparison."

"Yosuke can be a pain, but he's a good friend." Yu countered. "I can always count on him to have my back." Yu was starting to get angry. He could not help it when the topic was his friends. He also knew there was surely more to come.

"What's the deal with Chie?" Adachi asked. "I don't think you even know why you keep her around. Her body's alright but that personality! Would it kill her to try to act like a girl? I guess she's good in a fight, but you don't need her." Yu was done. He knew he had to listen to what the shadow had to say, but he was done arguing. It would only feed into its game. "Yukiko, so sexy, so helpless, and she's so dependent upon you. You really hit the jackpot with that one. It's a shame she can't cook for her life, or she would make good wife material." Yu stared daggers at the shadow, but it only seemed to give it a lift. "You don't swing that way, but it's good to know that you've got an option in Kanji if you change your mind. What a loser. You might tell him it's alright to have those girly hobbies, but you still think he's a freak. You'd tell him so if not for the fact that he'd kick your ass." The shadow paused and looked for a reaction, but none was forthcoming. Yu had learned his lesson. "Fair enough, I'll just keep going and see how long you can hold it together. How did you get so lucky? Rise was wrapped around your finger, and other parts of you, from the moment you met. She's kind of slutty, but you like that. It's fun." Yu clenched his fists, digging his fingernails into his own hands. "Teddie is a weird one. A pervert in a bear costume, it's amazing you've kept him out of prison this long. He's pretty useless too, and annoying. He raises being annoying to an art form." For once Yu had a tough time finding fault with that assessment. Teddie was not useless, but the rest was not entirely inaccurate. Yu realized the shadow was getting to him, and he was giving in. Teddie was great, even with his faults. "And then we have the Detective Prince! Dealing with her is exhausting, but man, what a body! It's a shame she hides it, because she is smoking hot. One day you might even be able to turn her into a proper girl."

"Are you done?" Yu asked, exasperated.

"Not quite, but I'm close." The shadow said. "Finally, we have Ruby. So naïve, so pure, you'd like to show her a few things wouldn't you? You say you're not out to bed every girl you meet, but actions speak louder than words. As for her in particular, you want her bad, even if you won't say so. Maybe it's because she has your power. You're jealous, but you can't help but be attracted to it and her. Once you get her, you can move on to her friends. Now that will be interesting."

"Can we please just fight now?" Yu asked. He was tired of the psychological beating and tired of putting up a front against it. "Izanagi!" He summoned his Persona, not waiting for an answer. That should not have worked. "If you're my shadow, how is it that I can still summon my Persona? They're one in the same." He paused to think about it. "You're not my shadow. You're just a shadow created for me."

"You're a sharp one." The shadow said. "I didn't think you'd figure that out. Think about it though, all those things in your head and I didn't even need to be you to know them. Maybe those feelings are stronger than you thought."

"We all have parts of ourselves we're not proud of." Yu defended himself. "I may have those thoughts in moments of weakness, but like you said, actions speak louder than words. I know the person I am and I know my deficiencies, and my actions reflect that. I helped them, and not to change them. I helped them accept themselves and find the strength they have inside. "

"Oh well." The shadow sighed. "It was worth a shot. Seeing you beat yourself up would have been fun. Let's do this then. Magatsu-Izanagi!"

* * *

"I should try to contact the others with my Persona." Rise said. She concentrated deeply and her Persona appeared. "Can anyone hear me?"

"Oh, now that's cheating." The voice from earlier said. "I'll put a stop to that." An excruciatingly loud screech filled Rise's ears. Her Persona disappeared as she clutched the sides of her head. She felt as if knives were being jammed in both her ears as she collapsed.

"Rise!" Yukiko shouted. "Are you okay?" She rushed to Rise's side and helped her to her feet. She looked as if she were about to cry.

"You bastard!" Kanji yelled. "You call yourself a man? Hurting a girl who can't defend herself! I swear I'm gonna' punch your teeth out!"

"If he can interfere with my Persona, he's really powerful." Rise warned. The pain in her head was finally subsiding. "We need to be careful. We have no idea what else he's capable of."

* * *

Ruby readied Crescent Rose. There was no one around as far as she could tell, but just holding it was comforting. She was so worried. She needed her team and her team needed her. She was a good enough fighter on her own, but as a team they were unstoppable. They must have been worried about her too. She tried looking around, but there was nothing to see. No matter where she went she was still surrounded by the same featureless blackness.

"Hey Red." A familiar voice said from behind her. She spun around to see none other than Roman Torchwick. "We have got to stop meeting like this."

"You're behind this?" Ruby asked. "Is this all part of your master plan?"

Torchwick laughed. "What do you think? I'm involved in plenty of…business ventures. Why couldn't this be one of them?"

"You're supposed to be in prison." Ruby observed.

"You say that like any prison could hold me." Torchwick said. "I didn't get to where I am today by rotting behind bars."

Something about the way he moved and the way he spoke just was not quite right. Ruby could not place it but something was definitely off. "You're not Torchwick, you're a shadow." Ruby concluded.

"Well done Red, you figured it out." Torchwick said sarcastically. "You get a gold star kid."

"Why take on Torchwick's appearance?" Ruby asked.

"You should have seen the look on your face." The shadow laughed. "Looking like this got such an entertaining response out of you."

"Is this all just a game?" Ruby asked angrily. She swung Crescent Rose around, embedding the blade in the ground to provide a stable firing platform. She pointed the gun straight at the shadow and pulled the trigger. There was a flash of light and the bullet ricocheted harmlessly into the air.

"You know the way this works Red." The shadow taunted. "I've got some things to say before we get down to business." It smiled evilly. "Let's talk about your friends."

"What about them?" Ruby asked.

"I'm going to remind you how you really feel about them of course." Shadow Torchwick replied. "Let's start with Weiss. She's so cold and arrogant, such a know-it-all, you can barely tolerate her. You know very well that if you hadn't been forced together, you'd never be friends."

"Weiss has changed a lot since we first met." Ruby protested. "She's a lot friendlier."

"Irrelevant." The shadow countered. "Blake betrayed you and it cuts deep. She didn't tell you about her past and wouldn't even admit to being a Faunus. You're not sure you can ever trust her. It doesn't really matter though; you couldn't have a conversation with her if your life depended on it. It's hard to be friends with someone who has nothing in common with you. She'll probably just run off again anyway. That would solve that."

"Blake has some things she needs to work through but that's okay." Ruby said. "We all keep secrets. And it doesn't matter that we don't have much in common because we're working toward a common goal, making the world a better place."

"You're in denial." The shadow taunted. "You really do love your sister and she loves you, but you know you can't count on her. She may say she'll protect you and always be by your side, but you know she's just as likely to run off and do her own thing. There are parties to go to after all, and you're definitely not invited. And how can she protect you when she's dead. You know how reckless she is. How long before it kills her? It's amazing she's lasted this long. You're jealous of her too. She's so pretty and has so many friends. How could you hope to compete? You'll always just be Yang's little sister."

"Nobody's perfect but she really cares about me." Ruby said. "I can't blame her for having her own life, and so what if I am a little jealous? It's perfectly normal."

"Keep telling yourself that." The shadow said. "Let's move on to Yu. You really don't know how to feel about him. He's so helpful and kind, but you don't know much about him. Who is he really? He's a player, that's for sure. You know he's got a harem yet you can't help but be attracted to him. You were too embarrassed to admit it, but when you asked if you were on a date, you knew you were and you were so happy about it. He's a guy who's romantically interested in you, that's a first. Who cares if he's got more girls than he can handle already? He makes you feel wanted, and that's a rare feeling for you."

"I've had enough!" Ruby screamed. "Let's end this!" She focused and summoned her Persona. "Summer Rose!"

"Let's end this indeed." Shadow Torchwick said menacingly. "Dark Rose!" The shadow summoned a Persona, which was surprising enough. More of a shock was the fact that it was the shadow version of her mother that Ruby had faced before. It seemed the evil of this place knew no bounds.

* * *

"We can't just sit here." Yang said with annoyance. "Ruby could be alone and in danger. She must be so scared."

"She's strong, she can handle it." Weiss assured her. "We have to believe in her."

"She might be strong enough to handle this, but what if I'm not?" Yang asked. "I promised to protect her, but I just keep leaving her behind."

"Doubting yourself won't help." Chie said. "She can do it and we can do it."

"The culprit no doubt split us up to distract us with worry." Naoto observed. "We don't need our leaders to fight, and they don't need us. We're in their hearts and they're in ours; that's the strength we give each other. The only way we can fail is if we let this trick destroy our morale."

"I guess you're right." Yang said. She did not look confident.

"Come on, let's see if there's any way out of here." Yosuke suggested.

"Good idea." Yang said. "We need to focus on the solution, not dwell the problem." She knew that was not going to work, either finding a way out or getting her mind off the problem. Her Persona's limited sensory power was strong enough to tell her that they would not find a way out or a way to meet up with the others. She would not say that because she knew it would distress the others. Beyond that, she could not stop worrying about Ruby, ever.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

A shadow wielding a Persona – that was a new trick. Izanagi and his glowing red doppelganger faced each other as Yu and Shadow Adachi stared each other down. Each swept an arm forward and the Personas charged, clashing swords between them. The test of strength was inconclusive and they separated, launching matching electric attacks a one another. Yu felt a rush of power as his Persona absorbed the attack, filling it with strength. A swing of Izanagi's sword sent Magatsu-Izanagi reeling but did little real damage. "I'm done playing games." The shadow hissed. Magatsu-Izanagi unleashed a blast of wind, slamming into Izanagi. Yu doubled over in pain and hastily withdrew his Persona.

"Norn!" Yu summoned another Persona. The next blast of wind was absorbed, allowing Yu to recover from the previous attack. The shadow changed tack again and launched an electric attack. Yu dropped to his knee as a wave of pain flowed through his body. He withdrew this Persona as well. "Kikuri-Hime!" The next electric attack was resisted and Yu used his Persona to heal himself. He stood back up and faced the shadow again.

"You're just full of surprises aren't you?" The shadow said. Magatsu-Izanagi rushed at Yu's Persona, swinging its sword in a frenzied charge as Kikuri-Hime struggled to block the attacks. Yu's Persona was finally able to gain some separation and blasted the shadow and its Persona with fire. The shadow recoiled and growled with pain. "I've got surprises too!" Its Persona blasted Yu's with ice. Yu was stunned and left in pain. Magatsu-Izanagi should not have been able to wield ice. Again Yu withdrew his Persona.

"Isis!" Yu shouted. The image of a beautiful winged woman appeared above him. The shadow's next ice attack was reflected. The shadow and its Persona recoiled in pain as Yu took the opportunity to regroup. He knew an electric attack would be coming next; this shadow seemed to be an expert on his weaknesses, so he withdrew this Persona as well. Both Yu and the shadow were weakened by now, and any attack that managed to strike a weakness would likely be the last. The Magatsu-Izanagi Yu was familiar with had no weaknesses, but all of his Personas did.

"This is getting nowhere." The shadow concluded. "I think a more direct approach is in order." The shadow raised its arm, aiming its gun straight at Yu. The shadow squeezed the trigger and the gun fired.

Yu stood stunned. Izanagi had appeared in front of him at the last moment without even being summoned. The shadow fired another shot and Izanagi took it too. Yu felt the pain but it was better than catching a bullet. Izanagi charged at the shadow and sliced off its arm. The arm dissolved and disappeared as the gun clattered to the ground. The shadow was in shock but quickly recovered. Izanagi was out of position. Yu's Persona spun to face Magatsu-Izanagi, but it was too late. Magatsu-Izanagi's sword lanced through Izanagi's chest. Yu dropped to all fours in pain and with his last bit of strength countered. Izanagi, still impaled, forced its sword through Magatsu-Izanagi's chest. Yu and the shadow, both in terrible pain, withdrew their Personas.

Yu struggled to catch his breath as the shadow was struggling to his feet. Yu spotted the gun, still lying on the ground between them. In desperation, he lunged for the weapon, grabbing it before making it to his feet. The shadow approached menacingly as Yu aimed the gun at it, his hand shaking slightly. He had never held a gun before. Yu took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.

The gun melted in his hand. He stared forward in horror as the shadow continued its approach, a smile on its face. "I'm a shadow you idiot." The shadow said. "Everything about me is in my control. That includes that prop." The shadow laughed. Yu was too shocked to move. The shadow grabbed him by the throat with its one remaining arm and lifted him off the ground. "If only the real Adachi could see me now." Yu gasped for air and desperately struggled to get free. "Goodbye fool."

Yu reached into his pocket and pulled out a cylinder. It was about an inch across and a little more than a hand's-width in length. With the slide of a latch and the push of a button, a meter long blade telescoped from the cylinder. In a single swift motion, Yu swung the blade around and sliced off the shadow's remaining arm. The shadow dropped to its knees and stared at Yu in shock as its arm dissolved and disappeared.

* * *

_The Day Before Yang Awakened Her Persona_

"After we weren't able to protect Rise from that shadow, I started thinking about a solution." Blake said. "You should all be able to defend yourselves, with or without a Persona."

"Naoto's got a gun, but other than that we don't have any weapons." Yu said.

"I know, so I got each of you one of these." Blake said. She pulled a cylinder out of her pocket. She slid a latch and pushed a button, causing a meter long blade to telescope from the cylinder. "Be very careful with these. They're razor sharp. Only use it in an emergency." She slid the latch in the other direction and pushed the button again, retracting the blade.

"Thanks, but I hope we never have to use them." Yu said.

* * *

Yu stood over the shadow, blade in hand. "You wouldn't kill you old pal Adachi would you?" The shadow pleaded.

"No, but you're not Adachi." Yu said angrily. "I have no mercy for shadows. You are simply a reflection of the part of me I don't like. It's a part of me, but I reject it. It will not control me. This act is the proof." He raised his sword above his head. With a single slice he cleaved the shadow from shoulder to hip. It dissolved and disappeared, leaving Yu alone again.

* * *

Ruby would have to fight the twisted shadow of her mother all over again. It was just as painful the second time around, but Ruby had been hardened by the first fight and she was ready. Ruby and Shadow Torchwick blasted wind at each other from their Personas. The opening salvo managed to gain each some separation but little else. Ruby would have to figure out what the shadow and its Persona were vulnerable to – wind clearly was not it. "Kikuri-Hime!" Ruby switched Personas and launched a ball of fire at her opponent.

"Bad move Red." The shadow taunted. It returned the fire with a blast of wind. Ruby's Persona may be resistant to wind, but she was not. She dodged and retreated, barely avoiding being engulfed in flames. The shadow pushed forward, launching attack after attack against Ruby's Persona. Wind was only moderately effective, but it was rapidly wearing her down. She hastily healed herself as the shadow's Persona closed the gap. It reached Kikuri-Hime and began slashing the Persona with its claws.

"Izanagi!" Ruby summoned her newest Persona and turned the tables. A series of slashes and stabs from Izanagi's sword sent the shadow and its Persona reeling. She launched a bolt of lightning that seemed to stun the shadow and renewed the physical assault. A sudden blast of wind from Dark Rose knocked Izanagi back and doubled Ruby over in pain. Izanagi had been a poor choice against an assailant that was clearly focused on using wind attacks.

"I thought you'd put up more of a fight." The shadow laughed. Ruby withdrew her Persona and went without one while she formulated a plan. She attacked the shadow directly with sniper shots from Crescent Rose, but the shadow used its Persona to take the hits for it. A blast of wind knocked Ruby off her feet as the shadow regrouped and launched a new attack.

"Norn!" Ruby desperately summoned another Persona. It was a timely action as the next attack from the shadow healed Ruby instead of injuring her. It was just the respite she needed. "Isis!" Ruby was on her last option as far as Personas were concerned. She fired an ice attack at Dark Rose, scoring a direct hit on her target. The Persona faded and disappeared as the shadow recoiled in pain. Ruby finally had the advantage and intended to press it home. As a wall of ice closed in on the shadow it leapt out of the way. Shadow Torchwick took aim with Melodic Cudgel and fired an explosive shot at Ruby's Persona. It was a devastating hit. Ruby dropped to a knee in pain as her Persona began to fade into static. She quickly withdrew her Persona, knowing another hit could very easily take her down entirely.

"What's the matter Red?" The shadow sneered. "Can't handle the heat?" It fired another shot, this time directly at Ruby. It struck the ground near her feet and blasted her into the air. The shadow fired the hook at the end of Melodic Cudgel at Ruby and caught her by her hood. Rapidly retracting the hook, Shadow Torchwick used it to slam her into the ground at its feet. The shadow laughed. "Sorry kid, it's just business." The shadow raised Melodic Cudgel over its head and brought it down toward Ruby's face. She managed to block the attack with her arm, but it was incredibly painful. Using her semblance, she shot away from the shadow to relative safety.

Ruby fired Crescent Rose backwards, propelling herself toward the shadow at high speed. She swung her scythe as she passed, but the shadow parried the attack. Ruby landed on her feet and turned to face her opponent. The shadow launched its hook again, catching her behind the knee. With a pull, the hook tripped her and she slammed down on her back. Shadow Torchwick spun Melodic Cudgel around and quickly fired. Ruby rolled out of the way, using Crescent Rose to boost herself to safety. She leapt to her feet and fired a series of sniper shots at the shadow. The shadow deflected them with its weapon and fired another shot her way.

Ruby acrobatically leapt over the shot and toward the shadow. She brought her scythe down hard where Shadow Torchwick had been standing, but he had dodged the attack. Now on her flank, the shadow slammed Melodic Cudgel into the side of Ruby's head. Dazed, Ruby stumbled away from the shadow, firing Crescent Rose wildly in its general direction as she fell to the ground. Shadow Torchwick closed in, a confident smile on its face. It pressed the barrel of Melodic Cudgel to Ruby's head. "I've wanted to do this for a long time." The shadow laughed as it squeezed the trigger.

The close-range blast knocked the shadow off its feet. When the smoke cleared, Ruby was nowhere to be seen, only a cloud of rose petals where she had been. Confused, the shadow spun around just in time to catch the full weight of Crescent Rose in the face, blunt-side first. "And I've wanted to do this." Ruby said, readying Crescent Rose for a final slash.

"Hold on Red, if you kill me you'll be no better than I am." Shadow Torchwick pleaded.

"That would be true if you were Torchwick." Ruby said. "You're just a shadow. I hate everything you stand for, even if it's a part of me." She swung Crescent Rose around and sliced the shadow in half. It dissolved and disappeared, leaving Ruby alone again.

* * *

Yu sat down. After the battle he had just fought, he was in desperate need of a rest. He had plenty to think about as well. Did he really just look at his friends as a means to an end? Did he only care about the girls because he found them physically attractive? Was Ruby just his next conquest? No, of course not. He might have those thoughts from time to time, but that was not who he was. Right? The more he thought about it, the less sure he was. He had entered a dark spiral and it was close to consuming him.

"Yu!" A familiar voice called from nearby. He turned to his side and there was Ruby, rushing toward him. She looked a little beat up; she must have had a fight too. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Yu answered. He was less than convincing. "I'm just tired. I had a hell of a battle."

"Me too." Ruby said. He stood up and she looked him in the face. She could tell he was not in a good place mentally. "You had a talk with a shadow too huh?"

"I did." He replied, frowning. "It said some things that really got to me. I know that's their game, but the fact that there's truth to what it said is what really hurts."

"It was the same for me." Ruby said. "Cheer up. You said it yourself, we all have parts of ourselves we're not proud of. What matters is that we recognize it and don't let it control us."

"I have to be honest with you." Yu sighed. "Otherwise, I don't think I can look you in the eye anymore. When I first saw you and your friends, all I could think about was how sexy you all were. I wanted a piece of that. My reasons for befriending you all have been less than pure. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you're a guy." Ruby laughed. "If you didn't have those thoughts I'd be surprised. I've got to be honest with you too. I find you fascinating. You're mysterious and helpful, and you're so nice to me and my team even though we just met. When I found out you might have a romantic interest in me, I was shocked but in a good way. As you probably noticed, I'm pretty socially awkward. Making friends is hard enough for me, and the idea that I could have a boyfriend was so attractive. I was even willing to ignore that you're already seeing others and that you'll probably go back home as soon as we've finished with this. It was selfish. I knew I couldn't commit to a relationship with you, but I would lead you on because of how great and wanted it made me feel. You've got nothing to apologize for. We've both used each other, but I think we've become real friends too and we're able to be honest with each other like this. I think that's what's important."

"I guess you're right." Yu said, sounding a little less depressed. "I think you just save me from myself."

"It's what friends do." Ruby said. "Your actions have shown that you really care about us, even if you have dirty thoughts too. You've helped me so much. I can tell you've done the same for your companions just by the way they look at you. You're a great friend and we're all lucky to have you."

"As much as you've all helped me, I think I'm the lucky one." Yu said.

* * *

Yang, Weiss, Yosuke, Naoto and Chie waited. There were no shadows around and their friends were nowhere to be found. They had tried looking around, but only found more featureless blackness. A figure dressed in red and black appeared in the distance. Yang squinted to see. "Ruby?!" Yang rushed to her and hugged her tightly. Ruby did not react. There was none of the usual squirming or complaints about it being too tight. Something was very wrong. Yang let go and took a step back. Yang could only see rage and hatred in Ruby's eyes. This was not Ruby, it was a shadow. The shadow swung Crescent Rose around, slamming the blade down inches from Yang's back. If the gun fired it would slam back and slice her in two. With a malevolent smile, the shadow pulled the trigger.

* * *

"Someone's coming." Blake reported, pointing to the approaching figure. Rise, Teddie, Kanji and Yukiko turned to look.

"Senpai!" Rise shouted excitedly, rushing toward Yu. "I'm so glad you're alright." She embraced him tightly, and he stood there motionless. "Where were you?" There was no response. "Senpai?" She looked him in the eyes, eyes filled with rage and hatred. Rise did not need to summon her Persona to know that this was a shadow. She pushed him away and stumbled back. The shadow lunged forward and punched Rise in the face. She fell to the ground unconscious.

"Magatsu-Izanagi." The shadow growled. The glowing red Persona appeared positioned its sword above the motionless Rise. The shadow brought its hand down and the Persona slammed its sword downward.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Yang closed her eyes and waited for death. The deafening blast from Crescent Rose signaled her demise. She felt nothing. Yang opened her eyes to see the shadow clumsily stumbling forward. She looked down to see that her body was still in one piece. Glancing backward, she saw the blade that should have ended her encased in ice. Weiss was rushing forward, adding more ice to hold it in place. The shadow struggled furiously to free the weapon.

"Yang, do something!" Weiss shouted in frustration. Yang snapped out of her daze and turned to face the shadow. She stepped out of the blade's potential path and punched the shadow in the stomach. The shadow bent over in pain and Yang followed up by bashing it in the back of the head, slamming it face first into the ground. She aimed to smash its head further, but as her fist descended, the shadow disappeared in a cloud of burning rose petals, taking Crescent Rose with it.

"And here I thought I would kill both sisters." The shadow said.

"What?!" Yang asked.

"How do you think I got this beauty?" The shadow said as it stroked Crescent Rose. "You couldn't save her." The shadow taunted.

"No…" Weiss said inaudibly.

Yang stood there with a mix of rage and despair filling her. Could this monster have taken her sister from her? She took a close look at Crescent Rose. There was something not quite right about it. The curvature of the blade was too aggressive and the magazine sat at the wrong angle. "You're lying." Yang concluded. "That's not her weapon and she never would have fallen to you."

"It was worth a shot." The shadow laughed. "The look on all your faces made it so worth it. I think I know exactly how I can elicit another fun reaction. Dark Rose!" The grotesque shadow of Ruby's mother appeared above Shadow Ruby. With a sweep of its arm it unleashed a wave of wind that knocked the group off their feet.

Weiss leapt to her feet. "Ananke!" She summoned her Persona and used it to blast the shadow with ice. The shadow and its Persona recoiled in pain as the shadow growled in anger. Chie summoned her Persona and joined in. The shadow, seemingly on its last legs, withdrew its Persona. It fired a series of shots with Crescent Rose, causing the group to scatter and buying the shadow some time. Naoto returned fire with her pistol, but the shadow blocked the incoming shots with a spin of Crescent Rose. The shadow launched itself into the air toward Naoto, blade spinning ahead of it. Naoto managed to summon her Persona in time to take the hit, but the blow was enough to bring her to her knees in agony.

"Get away from her!" Yosuke shouted. He hit the shadow with several pin-point blasts from its Persona to physically push it back. The shadow braced against the attack but could not stop itself from being pushed backward. Yosuke continued hitting the shadow with wind, pressing the attack to the point that it exhausted him. When the onslaught receded, the shadow just stood up straight and smiled arrogantly. It swung Crescent Rose around and blasted Yosuke's Persona with a series of sniper shots. His Persona faded and disappeared as he dropped to the ground.

Weiss launched a line of flame at the shadow with Myrtenaster. The shadow dodged in a cloud of rose petals. Weiss launched a series of fiery attacks, but the shadow repeatedly dodged, closing the distance between them with each move. Soon they were at melee range and Weiss stabbed at the shadow with her blade. The shadow parried the attack and spun around, slamming the blunt side of Crescent Rose into Weiss's side. She tumbled through the air uncontrollably. The shadow used its speed to get in front of her and smashed her with a baseball swing which sent Weiss flying back in the other direction. She crashed to the ground and lay there motionless.

Chie's Persona swept in, engaging the shadow in blade-to-blade combat. Their weapons clashed as each attack was checked. The shadow hooked the Persona's blade, using it to tug Chie's Persona off balance. The shadow hit it in the back of the head with Crescent Rose and Chie's Persona tumbled away but recovered. Charging in the Persona brought its fist down hard, hitting the ground just in front of the shadow.

"You missed." The shadow taunted, readying a slash with Crescent Rose.

"Did I?" Chie said confidently, looking just above the shadow. The shadow looked up just in time to see a giant fiery fist slamming down upon it. The attack pounded the shadow into the ground where it lay groggily on its back. Yang rushed over and jumped onto the shadow, cocking her fist in preparation for her attack.

"You couldn't hit you sister could you?" The shadow pleaded.

"You…" Yang shouted as she punched with all her might. "…are…" She delivered another devastating punch, her hair engulfed in flame. "…not…" She brought her fist down hard. "…my…" She hit it with an elbow this time. "…sister!" She delivered a final punch, the combination of the impact and a shotgun blast from Ember Celica blowing the shadow's head off. The shadow dissolved and disappeared. Yang knelt there breathing heavily as the fire that had surrounded her slowly died away.

"Yang, are you alright?" Chie asked, rushing to her side.

"I'm fine." Yang said through gritted teeth. "I'm really tired of the games these shadows play."

"I think you got that point across." Chie said happily. "They'll think twice before messing with you again."

Naoto limped over, clutching her stomach. "Sorry to interrupt the celebration, but we're beat up pretty bad." She coughed. "I think the others are unconscious." She sat down beside them. "I don't suppose you can heal us." Chie shook her head.

"My Persona doesn't have that ability." Yang admitted.

"We're sitting ducks like this." Naoto observed.

"Look out!" Chie shouted, pointing. In front of her stood two figures.

"Not now." Naoto said, struggling back to her feet. She began to draw her gun but something stopped her. "Senpai? Ruby?"

Yu rushed over and helped Naoto sit back down. "I'll heal them." Yu said to Ruby. He summoned Norn and went to work. Ruby nodded and headed over to Yang.

"Is it really you this time?" Yang asked, tears in her eyes.

"Who else would it be?" Ruby asked cheerfully, giving Yang a hug. It was a bit too tight for her liking.

"Well I just beat the shadow version of you to death." Yang admitted.

"I just killed a shadow Torchwick." Ruby said. "It sounds like we've all had a tough time."

"What did you fight?" Chie asked Yu.

"I fought a shadow of Adachi." Yu said unemotionally. "It was strong, but nothing I couldn't handle."

"That's our leader." The recently healed Yosuke said. "Nothing fazes you huh?" Yu didn't answer. He just exchanged glances with Ruby. "Am I missing something?"

"Where are the others?" Yu quickly changed the subject.

"All around us if Yang's Persona is reading the situation correctly." Naoto reported. "We've all apparently been in the same place, just somehow separated."

"It's like they're in another dimension." Yosuke explained. Naoto thought about arguing that point, but decided it was as good an explanation as any.

"They must still be fighting then." Weiss said. "I hope they're alright."

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Yu said confidently.

* * *

Rise slowly opened her eyes. Her head hurt, worse than it had ever before. She felt like the whole world was spinning and did not dare attempt to stand. What she saw snapped her out of the daze. Magatsu-Izanagi's sword was embedded in an ice copy of Blake – produced by her semblance – just inches from her chest. She screamed and struggled to push herself away. Kanji rushed up to her and grabbed her by the collar. "Sorry for this." Kanji said. He dragged her away rather roughly until they were a safe distance away from the shadow and its Persona.

Kanji then summoned his Persona and charged into battle. His Persona charged at Magatsu-Izanagi, sword held high, as the shadow's Persona struggled to free its sword. Just as Kanji's Persona swung its weapon, Magatsu-Izanagi freed its sword just in time to parry the attack. It countered with a very ineffective attack of its own before Kanji's Persona brought its sword around for a devastating blow to Magatsu-Izanagi's chest. The shadow's Persona staggered back from the force of the blow and Kanji pressed the advantage. Just as his Persona reached its target, it was met with a concentrated blast of wind to the chest, knocking it to the ground. Magatsu-Izanagi stood over Kanji's Persona and blasted it with wind again. It faded and disappeared as Kanji collapsed in pain.

Teddie sent in his Persona. It absorbed the shadow's wind attacks and countered by launching massive chunks of ice at Magatsu-Izanagi. Ice built up around Magatsu-Izanagi's legs, trapping it in place. Teddie sent his Persona in close and it swiped away with its claws. Blake joined in the attack, jumping on the shadow's Persona and slashing its back with Gambol Shroud. The shadow and its Persona roared with rage and electricity engulfed Magatsu-Izanagi. Teddie's Persona was instantly defeated by the strike at its weakness. Blake dropped to the ground convulsing as electricity surged through her.

Yukiko had been busy healing Kanji and Rise but turned her attention to Blake. Her Persona swept in and scooped up Blake, carrying her to safety while simultaneously healing her. Kanji charged back in with his Persona but after a brief exchange of sword blows was taken out of the battle again by a blast of wind. Yukiko blasted Magatsu-Izanagi with fire. Its attempts to counter with wind only intensified the flames. Still burning, Magatsu-Izanagi charged at Yukiko's Persona, brutally slashing away with its sword. With a limited capacity to withstand attacks, Yukiko was on the edge of defeat.

Blake decided a change of tactics was crucial to the battle. She charged directly at the shadow while its Persona was busy with Yukiko. She fired several shots as she approached but the shadow dodged the onslaught. As they closed to melee range the shadow pulled out a sword like the ones Blake had bought for each member of the Investigation Team. She slashed at the shadow, but it blocked her attack and overpowered her, pushing her away. The shadow lashed out in an attack of its own as Blake dodged away, leaving behind a smoldering copy with her semblance. When the shadow struck the copy it exploded, throwing it back. Blake took the opportunity to stab at the shadow's back, but it spun around and knocked Gambol Shroud aside before punching Blake in the face with its free hand. She stumbled, barely blocking a slash from the shadow's sword. Now holding the initiative, the shadow kicked her hard in the front of the knee, dropping Blake to the ground hard.

Seeing Blake in peril, Yukiko broke off combat between her Persona and Magatsu-Izanagi and sent a ball of fire screaming toward the shadow. Unfortunately, this put her Persona out of position, and Magatsu-Izanagi sunk its blade into Yukiko's Persona from the back. It twisted the blade until the Persona disappeared and Yukiko fell to the ground unconscious. Having taken care of all the opposing Personas, the shadow withdrew Magatsu-Izanagi and returned its attention to Blake who was still lying prone, struggling to crawl away without the use of one of her legs.

"Here kitty-kitty." The shadow sneered as it approached. It stomped on her injured knee and laughed as Blake cried out in pain. The shadow walked around to her side and kicked her hard in the stomach. She curled up in a ball on her side. The shadow kicked her shoulder over to get Blake flat on her back. "I want you to see this coming." It raised its sword high, preparing to deliver the fatal blow. "What?!" The shadow exclaimed, a sword now protruding from its chest. It spun around clumsily to face its attacker, finding Rise standing there, sword in hand. "You'll have to do better than that." The shadow slashed at Rise with its sword, but missed as Rise jumped backward. With the shadow overextended Rise lunged forward and plunged her sword into the shadow's neck. She wrenched the blade to the side, partially decapitating the shadow. It dissolved and disappeared.

Rise kneeled at Blake's side and offered her a hand to help her up. "You saved me once; I thought I'd return the favor." Rise said.

"That was reckless of you." Blake said. She stood, careful not to put weight on her injured leg.

"I couldn't stand seeing a shadow with his face." Rise said. She looked at Blake's knee, which was bent at an unnatural angle. "You should really heal yourself." Rise advised.

"I don't think I can." Blake sighed. "I don't have the strength."

"I can give it a try." Rise said. "I can't hold you up while I do it though." She helped Blake sit down before summoning her Persona. Light engulfed the team before receding. Rise dropped to her knees, exhausted.

"It didn't work." Blake said. "I feel stronger, but not less injured."

"Damn it." Rise cried. "That's the problem with my power. It can be so random. I don't have enough control. I'm so useless." She was crying her eyes out.

"You're not useless." A familiar voice said.

"Senpai?" Rise asked, tears in her eyes. Standing a few feet away was the rest of the team. They had finally been reunited.

"I'll heal them this time." Ruby said. Yu nodded in agreement as Ruby summoned Norn and went to work.

"Start with Yukiko and Teddie, and then they can help you with the rest." Yu advised.

"It's really you this time!" Rise exclaimed, hugging Yu tightly. "I hate this place." She said, burying her face in his chest.

"I take it you fought a shadow version of me." Yu said. Rise nodded and sniffled, wiping her tears away. "That must have been hard."

Yang knelt next to Blake. "Your leg looks bad." Yang observed.

"I noticed." Blake replied dryly. "Healing didn't fix it."

"What if I pop it back into place for you?" Yang asked. Before Blake could respond Yang forced Blake's knee joint back into alignment. Blake barely contained a scream of pain. "There you go. Healing should take care of the pain." Yang smiled. Blake wanted to punch her.

"Hey guys!" Yosuke called. "I found the victim!" It was the mechanic they had originally followed to this place. She was dazed but otherwise fine.

"We should get her back to the village." Weiss said. "Then we'll come back and deal with the culprit." The others agreed.

* * *

"So, what do you think we'll face in there?" Ruby asked.

"Well, the culprit is a person." Blake said. "He might have a Persona, but we should be able to defeat him. We've defeated so many powerful opponents so far, some guy isn't going to stop us."

"I think there might be more to it than that." Naoto warned. "In our experience, the primary actor in these sorts of incidents may be a normal person, but they usually have help."

"What kind of help?" Yang asked.

"There's usually a supernatural being behind it, as strange as that sounds." Naoto replied. "We had to fight three of them to save our world. They're more powerful than anything you can imagine. Just consider the power required to create that entire world and to draw people to it."

"Whatever we face, I'm sure we can handle it." Yu said. "Together we can overcome any challenge." He did always know the exact thing that needed to be said.

"How are you so calm about this?" Ruby asked.

"I have confidence in my friends." Yu answered. "That includes you and your team as well. I look at us and think about all the things we've been through and I just know we can do this."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"We seem to be approaching a conclusion." Yu said. "We thought it would be wise to ask if you have any advice or if there's been any change in our powers."

"There has been some change." Theodore said. "The bond the two of you share has reached the point where I would consider it complete, yet you have not gained access to a new Persona as a result."

"Why not?" Ruby asked. "It worked that way with the others."

"I cannot say for sure." Theodore admitted. "Perhaps your future has more in store as it relates to the Wild Card."

"Is there anything you can tell us that will help us in the coming battle?" Yu asked.

"There is nothing I can say that you don't already know." Theodore said. "Work as a team, believe in each other, and give it your all. I warn you though, the fate of this world hangs in the balance."

* * *

"Well, this is it." Yang said, walking up the stairs to the large door at the far end of the courtyard. All five locks were finally open.

"Yes, we can finally bring that criminal to justice." Naoto added. The group walked up to the door and opened it, revealing a final portal. They entered the portal, ready for the fight of their lives.

* * *

Inside, a gigantic throne room awaited them. A man sat regally in an elaborately decorated throne at the far end of the room. He must have been the culprit. It would have had no meaning on Remnant, but Yu thought the man's attire resembled that of an ancient Roman soldier. He was clad in head-to-toe segmented metal armor, a red cape tied around his neck. At his left, a large rectangular shield leaned against the throne. It was painted red, about a meter tall, and curved back at the sides, just like an ancient Roman shield. At his right was a weapon that would not have been in a Roman's arsenal. It appeared to be a harpoon gun, the harpoon extending past the end of the barrel by at least two feet. The man appeared to be middle aged. His face was heavily scarred but they were hidden to some degree by thick stubble. It was hard to tell because he was seated, but he appeared to be quite tall. To fight in his armor and carry his large weapons, he would have to be very strong as well.

"Welcome!" The man shouted. "You've fought well and honorably."

"Who are you?" Naoto asked. "Why are you doing this? What do you hope to accomplish?"

"Please slow down with the questions." The man said politely. "I feel you've earned a full explanation, given how impressively you've fought to make it this far." The man stood up. He was very tall, almost seven feet. "I am Rosso Victrix. Before I found this calling, I worked as a Hunter, protecting my village from the forces of Grimm. It was a noble calling, one I still love, but it was not enough. I could not save him."

"Who?" Ruby asked.

"My brother." Rosso replied sadly. "He was trying to make a life for himself in Vale, but he was killed in the recent Grimm attack. It must be fate that you four would find your way here, I saw you on the news." His facial expression shifted from sadness to anger. "You could not save him either."

"We tried, but we're just students." Ruby said. "I'm sorry for your loss, but we did all we could."

"You're right." Rosso said, his anger suddenly gone. "My grievance is not with you, it is with the professionals who failed. In any case, my brother's death sent me into a deep depression. He was the only person I could truly call my friend. If I could not even protect him, why bother being a Hunter? Why bother going on living?" He sighed. "I went out into the forest to fight Grimm until they killed me. I would get what vengeance I could and be rewarded with the death I desired. While I was searching for Grimm, I heard a voice. I thought I might be going crazy, but I followed it. It led me to this place. It told me I could see my brother again, that everyone could see their departed loved ones again. All I had to do was gather powerful shadows. Then I could merge this world with the afterlife. Everyone would be freed from this wretched life. Everyone would get what they desired."

"You're insane, people don't want to die." Weiss accused.

"I was skeptical myself." Rosso continued calmly. "But I was shown the future that I would create. Sadness and pain would disappear from the world. Even your leader shares my desire. Ruby, don't you want to see your mother again? If you join me it can happen."

"No!" Ruby yelled. "I miss my mother but she wouldn't want me to give up living." Rosso frowned.

"How and why did you kidnap people?" Naoto asked.

"Shadows spring from the minds of people, so bringing people to this place was necessary to gather shadows." Rosso explained. "With my patron's help I sent out The Call. Dust amplifies the call, and I was expecting to draw in powerful Hunters. Unfortunately, the people I drew in instead were too weak. They could not create shadows that were powerful enough. Luckily you all found your way here. The shadows you created are quite extraordinary. You've even tamed them into Personas."

"Who's your patron?" Naoto asked.

"My patron?" Rosso said. "She is the one who lead me here. She gave me the power to send out The Call. Would you like to meet her? Tuonen Piika, please introduce yourself to our guests." A young woman materialized at Rosso's side. She had pale white skin and hair, contrasting greatly with her black dress. She was much shorter than Rosso and very thin.

"Don't be fooled by her appearance!" Rise warned. "She's incredibly powerful. She must be…"

"A god?" Tuonen Piika interrupted. She spoke with a soft, almost soothing voice. Something about it was unsettling though. "I am something like that. I am death's herald. I share the desire of the people of this world. They wish to end pain and sadness, and by merging this world with the afterlife, their desire will be accomplished. I understand that you wish to stop me. I cannot allow that to happen. I cannot allow you to depart either."

"Why not?" Yosuke asked. "Do we know too much?"

"That's not the problem." Rosso said. "It's your Personas. We need them in order to bring our plan to fruition. The constitute shadows powerful enough for our purposes. Since you cannot relinquish them willingly, only death will part you. I am truly sorry. You have shown yourselves to be honorable individuals, worthy of my admiration. We must kill you. If you do not resist, we will make your deaths painless. You will have the honor of being the first citizens of our new world."

"That's not going to happen." Yang said confidently. "We're taking both of you down."

"I thought you'd say that." Rosso said, picking up his weapons. "Allow me to introduce you to Scutum and Ballista. They will be the tools of your demise." He looked to Tuonen Piika. "Will you be joining in?"

"Of course I will." Tuonen Piika replied. "I will not sit idly while there is a threat to our new world." She raised her arms above her head and shadows flooded the area. Instead of attacking, the shadows surrounded Tuonen Piika, initially in a writhing mass, before forming into a gigantic and grotesque version of the goddess. Her fingers were replaced with metallic claws and blood flowed from her eyes, a terrifying visage indeed. The wall behind her melted and she floated outside, the towering monster the room to stand up straight. Below an ominous red sky, she awaited the coming assault.

"You guys take care of Rosso, we'll handle this monster." Yu said to Ruby. Ruby nodded and drew Crescent Rose, slamming it into the ground aimed at Rosso. The Investigation Team summoned their Personas and charged out of the throne room in pursuit of Tuonen Piika.

* * *

Rosso slung Ballista over his shoulder and it automatically snapped into place, hooked to the armor on his back. He crouched, covering most of his body with his massive shield. With his size, weapons and armor, he would be a difficult opponent. "I don't think we should fight him up close." Ruby said.

"Agreed." Yang said. "Turan!" She summoned her Persona and launched a fireball at Rosso. He ducked behind his shield and the fireball deflected around him. Rosso slammed Scutum down, planting it firmly. A small opening appeared in the shield and the barrel of a gun poked through. He hosed down Yang's Persona with bullets from a heavy machine gun built into the shield. Yang was hoping for something like this to happen. Her Persona absorbed physical attacks, and each bullet that hit it made her and Turan stronger. She launched an extremely powerful continuous blast of fire at Rosso who hid behind his shield and reloaded.

"We need to flank him." Blake said. "We're not going to break through that shield." That would be easier said than done. Rosso had backed himself up into a corner and was using it to limit his assailants' options. "Keep hitting him, I have an idea." Yang continued her fiery attack while Ruby took sniper shots and Weiss launched ice at Rosso. Blake rushed forward and leapt into the air, flying over Rosso and landing behind him. She slashed at him with Gambol Shroud but the blade glanced off his armor without even leaving a scratch. Leaving his shield standing on its own to protect himself from the others, Rosso turned to face Blake. She furiously slashed at him but could not penetrate his armor. She slammed her blade into his side but he caught it, grabbed her by the arm slammed her down onto her back. He punched at her head but she flipped out of the way at the last moment, leaving Rosso to strike her double. Blake retreated back to the others. "Fighting him up hand-to-hand was a poor decision." Blake admitted.

Yang's attack slackened as she exhausted the extra energy Rosso's attacks had given her. When the fire died down, Rosso opened the gap in his shield again and began firing on Yang's Persona again. This time he used ice dust bullets, riddling Yang's Persona with projectiles she was weak to. Yang dropped to a knee in pain and withdrew her Persona. Weiss slid forward using her glyphs, jamming Myrtenaster through the gap in Scutum. Rosso narrowly dodged the blade, but Weiss froze it in place. Rosso picked up Scutum and tried to shake Weiss off, but the ice held her securely in place. Ruby took the opportunity to slip in behind Rosso. "Summer Rose!" Ruby summoned her Persona and blasted Rosso with wind. The attack caught his shield like a sail and sent him flying across the room. He landed in the middle of the room, his flanks no longer protected.

Rosso finally managed to dislodge Myrtenaster from his shield and slammed Scutum into Weiss, sending her tumbling away. He pulled Ballista off his back and fired it at Ruby. The shot missed, the harpoon embedding itself in the wall behind her. Blake began shooting Rosso from the side, her bullets ricocheting off his armor. Rosso's harpoon was on a tether, and he retracted it rapidly, sending him flying toward Ruby and the corner he had come from. Ruby tried to dive out of the way, but Rosso caught her in the legs with his shield as he sailed past and she went tumbling to the ground. Rosso planted Scutum again and took aim at Ruby with his machine gun. Weiss summoned her Persona and put it between Ruby and Rosso, taking the burst of fire. With Rosso still shooting ice, the attack had no effect on Weiss's Persona. Ruby scrambled to her feet and regrouped with the others.

"My weapons don't do anything to his armor." Blake said. "Personas are a bad idea too because they're an easy target for his gun. If he's got different types of bullets it's only a matter of time before he finds which ones our Personas are weak to."

"I've got an idea." Ruby said. "Weiss, block his gun with ice." Weiss did so and Ruby charged at Rosso with the full speed of her semblance. She slammed her shoulder into Scutum and managed to push Rosso off balance. She hooked the shield with Crescent Rose and managed to pry it out of his hands. She spun around, firing to increase her speed, and slammed her blade into Rosso. He blocked the attack with his arm, but it crushed the armor on his forearm, causing it to drop off. Ruby spun around for another attack but Rosso dodged it. Ruby overextended and Rosso grabbed her by the head with both hands. He violently slammed her into the ground. Rosso picked up Scutum and lifted it to slam it down on the injured Ruby.

Yang charged in and slid under the shield, catching it as Rosso brought it down. She kicked his legs out from under him and he crashed to the ground. Yang turned her attention to Ruby. "Blake, catch!" She yelled. Yang picked up Ruby and threw her toward Blake. Blake caught her and set the dazed Ruby down on her feet. Yang turned back to Rosso, but he had recovered and he swatted her with a tremendous blow from Scutum. Yang went flying across the room and slammed into the wall. She quickly scrambled to her feet. She let out a primal yell, her eyes turned red and her hair burst into flames.

Rosso was not impressed. He swung Ballista around, took aim at Yang and fired. The harpoon hit its mark, impaling Yang just below the right collar bone and pinning her to the wall. The flames in Yang's hair died and in a daze she struggled to free the harpoon from the wall. She did not have the strength or the leverage to pry the harpoon free. Rosso retracted the tether, launching himself at Yang with a gauntleted fist aimed at her head. Rosso's fist slammed into the wall, hard enough to bend the metal of his gauntlets. Yang had moved her head to the side just enough to avoid the attack. Her eyes turned red and her hair burst into flames. "You made a mistake." She said angrily. With her right hand she grabbed the main body of Ballista and with her left punched Rosso as hard as she could in his unarmored face. Rosso went tumbling backward, leaving Ballista behind. Yang jerked the harpoon out of the wall and ripped it out of herself. Then she dropped to her knees in exhaustion and pain.

Rosso clambered back to his feet, Scutum at the ready. Blake charged at him, slashing at him with Gambol Shroud. Rosso deflected the attack with his shield and then swung it at her. She dodged, leaving a frozen double behind. Scutum hit the double and became stuck in the ice. As Rosso struggled to free his weapon, Blake leapt over the shield and kicked him in the face. He tumbled backward leaving Scutum stuck in the ice. Weiss charged at Rosso, stabbing at him with Myrtenaster. Rosso drew a short sword from a sheath on his belt and parried the attack. He tried to counter attack but Weiss caught the blade with hers and disarmed him. She froze his feet in place and acrobatically dove away as he punched at her. Ruby raced forward, propelling herself with backward shots from Crescent Rose. She leapt into the air and spun, slamming the blunt side of Crescent Rose into Rosso's face with tremendous force. Rosso went tumbling across the room, landing on his back motionless.

Team Ruby approached aggressively and surrounded their downed foe. He did not look like he was in any condition to fight. "Are you happy?" Rosso coughed. "Now that you've defeated me are you happy?" They did not respond. "I just wanted to give people what they wanted. I wanted to end their suffering. Is that so wrong?"

"It's not your end, it's your means." Blake said. "Death is not the answer."

"Not for you maybe." Rosso said weakly. "Hurry up and kill me. Give me what I desire."

"Nope." Ruby folded up Crescent Rose and slung it on her back. "We're taking you back home so you can face justice."

"I should have known." Rosso groaned. "I hope my patron succeeds where I failed, then all will be saved."

"We should go see about that." Ruby said. "Yu and his friends might need our help." She looked at Rosso. "We can't just leave him here though."

"The three of us will keep an eye on him." Weiss said. "You go help." Ruby nodded and ran off to help the Investigation Team with their battle.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Why do you fight against your own desires?" Tuonen Piika asked. "Yosuke, would you not like to be reunited with your precious Saki?"

"After finding out how she really felt about me, not really." Yosuke said. "She wouldn't want to see me, so what's the point?"

"Kanji, your father is deceased." Tuonen Piika continued. "You could see him again."

"My old man was kind of an asshole." Kanji admitted. "His death tore me up but I'm over it. I'm ready to live my own life."

"Naoto, you're so lonely without your parents." Tuonen Piika charged. "Surely you would gain comfort from their company."

"It's true, I have been lonely." Naoto said. "But I have accepted it, and with my friends, I'm not lonely anymore. Enough of these mind games; we are going to stop you. The pain of loss may be great, but to give up on life is a cowardly solution. You have misread humanity's desires, and we will not allow you to carry out this atrocity."

"Very well." Tuonen Piika concluded. "It is clear that you will not be swayed. You shall have your battle." The monster opened the battle with a tremendous blast of fire, engulfing all the Investigation Team's Personas. They had braced for the hit, and with the exception of Chie, took it rather well. Chie was forced to fall back, Teddie following to offer healing. "Impressive, it seems separating you from your Personas will be more difficult than anticipated."

Yukiko was charged up by the attack and unleashed an inferno of her own, relentlessly blasting the monster with fire. It was an ideal time for teamwork, so Yosuke and Yu – wielding Norn – fanned the flames to make the attack all the more intense. Tuonen Piika groaned with pain before unleashing counter attack of wind. It blew the flames, now more intense than ever, back at the attackers. Yukiko was unperturbed but Yu and Yosuke soon found things too hot to handle. The counter also had the knock-on effect of forcing Kanji out of the battle, as his Persona was weak to wind.

"It's invulnerable to darkness and light, and is resistant to everything." Rise reported. "You're going to have to wear it down." Yu switched to Izanagi and charged at Tuonen Piika, slashing it with the Persona's sword. Chie, back in action, sent in her Persona as well, and the two sliced away at the monster. Yukiko healed Kanji, and together with Naoto's, his Persona joined in the melee as well. Tuonen Piika seemed annoyed at worst and swiped at her attackers with a series of frenzied slashes of her massive claws. Kanji's and Chie's large and rather slow moving Personas were easy prey and soon the monster's attacks caused them to fade away, taking their wielders' consciousness with them.

Izanagi and Yamato Sumeragi were quick enough to continue landing hit-and-run attacks on Tuonen Piika. Teddie moved in to lend assistance by launching a series of ice attacks at the monster, while Yukiko kept hitting it with fire when the opportunity presented itself. Tuonen Piika soon resembled a bear being assailed by bees. Each individual attack was insignificant, but together they were making progress, and the creature found it difficult to do anything about it. Tuonen Piika yelled in pain and anger. "How would you like to fight each other?" The monster reached in arm out in the direction of Teddie. His face went blank and his body fell limp. Suddenly, he jerked into the air as if on the strings of a marionette. His Persona's ice attacks changed target to Yukiko, and she and her Persona were almost instantly downed.

"Sorry Teddie." Yu said. Izanagi abandoned its attack on Tuonen Piika and shot a powerful bolt of lightning at Teddie's Persona. Teddie and his Persona writhed in pain before it disappeared and he fell to the ground motionless. Tuonen Piika's focus shifted to Yosuke. He was controlled and a blast of wind from his Persona pushed Yu to the edge of unconsciousness. He hastily withdrew Izanagi, replacing it with Norn, and absorbed the next attack. The creature abandoned its control of Yosuke, and once he recovered, he joined a renewed assault. Yu switched back to Izanagi and the three fast Personas resumed their assault on Tuonen Piika.

"Enough!" Tuonen Piika shouted. She slammed her claws together and black circles appeared beneath the three Personas. The circles collapsed. Yu and Naoto were unharmed but Yosuke's Persona instantly disappeared and he was unconscious before he hit the ground. "I am tired of this! I will end you! You will crumble without your leader!" A black circle appeared beneath Yu, but there was something different about this one. This was no normal darkness.

"Senpai, look out!" Rise yelled in desperation. She rushed toward Yu and pushed him out of the way. Darkness enveloped her and when it cleared, she lay motionless, not even breathing.

"Rise!" Yu shouted, racing to her side. "Don't die on me!"

"It's too late for that." Tuonen Piika taunted.

"I'll hold her off, just save Rise." Naoto ordered. Her Persona made lightning quick attacks on the monster.

"Come on, stay with me." Yu pleaded. He summoned Isis and focused all his energy into healing Rise. Light engulfed them both. When it faded, Yu lay on his side, trying to catch his breath. Rise coughed. Her breathing was shallow and irregular, but she was alive. Yu smiled but lacked the strength to move any more than that. He had put everything into healing Rise.

"Fine, I shall crush you then." Tuonen Piika said. The monster approached Yu and Rise, ignoring Naoto's persistent attacks. Even shots from her pistol did not slow the monster. It raised a massive claw high into the air and slammed it down at the helpless duo.

"Shield of Justice!" Naoto shouted at the last possible second. A dome of light appeared above Rise and Yu just as Tuonen Piika's claw crashed down onto it. The thunderous impact shattered the monster's claw. Tuonen Piika recoiled in pain and staggered away from Yu and Rise. Dead shadows, formerly part of the monster, melted away and its arm disintegrated. It retreated and shed part of itself, forming a shield of its own.

* * *

The sound of an explosion thundered through the throne room, shaking the ground. "What was that?" Yang asked. Ruby had just run off to help Yu and his friends fight Tuonen Piika while the rest of Team RWBY kept an eye on the defeated Rosso Victrix.

"We need to help them." Blake said.

"We can't just leave him here." Weiss said. "We can't afford him attacking us from behind when we're distracted."

"I won't be causing you any more trouble." Rosso said. "I may hate you and wish for your failure, but I also have a great respect for you. You have fought bravely and honorably, and shown me mercy though I do not desire it. I will remain here. Take my weapons if it makes you feel more secure, win or lose I shall not need them any longer."

"Can we trust him?" Weiss asked cautiously.

"No, but we have to." Blake replied. "Let's go."

* * *

"Just die!" Tuonen Piika raged. From inside its protective bubble, it launched wild attacks with random elemental properties.

"We've got to kill it while it's weak!" Naoto shouted. "Come on Senpai, I know you can do this!" She focused again on Tuonen Piika. "Megidolaon!" A blinding light and deafening explosion engulfed the monster. Faint cracks appeared in its shield. "It's working!" Naoto said, exhausted. "Help me finish it off!"

Yu did not really have a Persona to do the job, even if he could muster the energy. He decided to ignore the damn limitations and just go for it. "Magatsu-Izanagi!" Yu shouted. He should not have been able to wield the evil doppelganger of his usual Persona, but his desperation made it happen. "Together now." He commanded.

"Megidolaon!" Yu and Naoto shouted in unison. Another tremendous blast, larger than the first, assailed Tuonen Piika. The cracks in its shield grew larger but it remained intact. They dropped to their knees in exhaustion.

"I don't think I have another in me." Naoto admitted. Yu shook his head. He did not have the strength either. Tuonen Piika's attacks, though random in direction and type, were sure to get them at some point. Their Personas were now basically autonomous, valiantly trying to block any attacks that might hit the pair. "If I have to die here, I'm glad it's at your side." Naoto said. "I love you."

"I'm so sorry." Yu said. "I should never have dragged you into this, any of you." A massive ball of ice sailed through the air. Their Personas jumped in front of it, absorbing the hit before disappearing. Both dropped to the ground in pain.

"Don't be ridiculous." Naoto admonished him. "There's no place I'd rather be than with you." A colossal fireball headed straight for them. They looked into each other's eyes and waited for the end.

Yu saw a flash out of the corner of his eye. The fireball exploded just a few feet away from them. There stood Ruby. She had taken the hit herself but seemed uninjured. "I'm going to stop you." Ruby said resolutely. She summoned Summer Rose, but her Persona immediately began to change. Instead of the visage of her mother, her Persona transformed into an angelic being, her mother as a goddess. Summer Rose became Angelic Rose and Ruby could feel the surge in power. Naoto and Yu looked on in awe. "Get up." Ruby commanded. "Let's finish this, together."

Yu and Naoto struggled to their feet, inspired by the sight before them. Ruby and Angelic Rose continued to block incoming attack without so much as flinching. Yu and Naoto stood on either side of Ruby, their shared resolve powering them. "Megidolaon!" The three said in unison. White light filled surrounded them. It was followed by a thunderous explosion and a blast that knocked them off their feet. Little remained of Tuonen Piika, just the original small woman she had been introduced as. She lay on the ground surrounded by dead shadows as they dissolved and disappeared.

"Perhaps I have misjudged the people of this world." Tuonen Piika said. Ruby, Yu and Naoto were only just barely conscious to hear her. "You win. This world will live on as before, with all the pain, suffering and joy it contains." With that, Tuonen Piika disappeared, leaving behind no trace. Yu and Naoto passed out. Ruby hung on, but only just. She could hear voices, but they sounded far away. She was so tired. She closed her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Ruby awoke in an unfamiliar place. It was dark and damp. She looked around and found herself surrounded by friends. They were in a cave, and with all of them inside the space was quite cramped. She looked toward the exit. It was raining outside and a bit difficult to see, but she knew where she was. It was the cave that had led them to the shadow world. With all the worlds it had contained, she expected it to be bigger. Aside from her friends, Rosso Victrix was there as well. He sat in a plain shirt and pants, his armor piled beside him and his weapons nowhere to be seen. He stared at the floor with a look of despair.

"Ruby's awake." Yukiko said excitedly. Ruby looked at everyone. They appeared to be pretty beaten up.

Yang walked over and sat next to Ruby. Blood soaked her shirt, but she seemed to be in a rather cheerful mood. "We showed up just after you defeated Tuonen Piika." Yang explained. "We patched you guys up as best we could and then carried you out. Once we left, the portal disappeared and left behind this cave. It was raining so we decided to rest here for a while."

"We called the authorities to pick up Rosso." Blake added. "It turns out Helia is working with the police, and she's coming out to meet us and make the arrest. She didn't waste any time getting back to work."

"You did a really go job." Yu said from somewhere behind Ruby. She turned around to find him lying on the ground a few feet away. He looked exhausted. "We would have been goners without you."

"You truly are amazing." Naoto added, lying nearby. She too looked to be in rougher shape than most of the others. "First you captured the culprit, then you defeated a goddess, case closed. Thank you for saving us."

"It's nothing, really." Ruby said. "I'd do anything for my friends."

* * *

Helia arrived with some police officers in an airship. They picked up Rosso for transport back to the village and its jail. She thanked them for their assistance, but they would have to walk back on their own. Naturally, the conversation turned to what they would do next.

"Who knows how long we'll be stuck here." Yosuke said. "We might just have to start new lives." The others looked at him angrily. He may have been right, but no one wanted to hear it.

"You could come to Beacon." Yang said. "You certainly pass for Hunters and Huntresses, even if your abilities are unorthodox. Then again, there's nothing orthodox about most of the students there. There's even a perfect number of you to form two teams."

"We might have to take you up on that offer." Chie said. "It would be really cool to learn how to fight like you guys."

"You could meet our other friends too." Ruby added. "They're really interesting."

"That's one way to put it." Weiss said. "I think you guys would fit right in. I'm not sure if that's an insult or not."

"I'm sure if they're your friends they're great." Yu said confidently.

"Are there any more hot babes?" Teddie inquired. They just ignored him.

"They must be so worried about us back home." Yukiko frowned. "I bet the whole town's in a panic."

"I saw to it that that would not be a problem." Standing in front of the group was Margaret. A quick survey of their surroundings identified this as they place where they had first met. "I'm sorry for the rather rough way I left you here. I would have liked to give you a full explanation of the situation, but I had to stay in Inaba. I knew it would take some time to resolve things here, long enough that you would surely be missed. To solve this problem, I altered the flow of time. It was quite a bit more difficult than expected, and I could not follow you here."

"Altered the flow of time?" Yu was confused.

"You have been here for a number of days." Margaret said. "Back in Inaba, however, only a few hours has passed. There have been some side effects. You can use your Personas outside the shadow world. The Wild Card has been altered significantly. I would also expect you to feel somewhat ill upon your return, though there should be no lasting effects. I'm glad to see you've made friends here. They were no doubt vital to your success. I can sense the power of the Wild Card in this one as well." Margaret stared at Ruby for a few seconds. It made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Your fates are tightly intertwined."

"Theodore said that." Ruby said.

"So you've met my brother." Margaret said. "I hope he did not cause you too much trouble. He can be rather strange." Coming from Margaret, this was saying something. "I'm sure the two of you are wondering about your powers. When you return home, your powers will return to normal. As for you Ruby, I suspect they will remain mostly the same. The condition under which the Fool is nurtured is integral to the nature of its expression. You will no longer be able to use your powers outside of the shadow world any longer though."

"If we got rid of the shadow world, where could we use our powers then?" Yang asked.

"Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for you." Margaret replied. "Perhaps you will not be able to use your Personas any longer. Perhaps another opportunity will arise. I cannot say." She turned to the Investigation Team. "Anyway, I have come to return you to your home. The connection is somewhat unstable, so sooner would be better." It seemed there would be little time for goodbyes. Everyone looked a bit sad. "In the future I may be able to facilitate temporary connections between worlds." Margaret assured them.

"Is there anything we need to do before we leave?" Naoto asked.

"Please leave behind any artifacts of this world." Margaret said. "You all have weapons or ammunition that utilizes the technology of this place. They must not be taken to earth."

The group set about saying their farewells. "You've saved me in more ways than you know." Yu said to Ruby. "Thanks."

"I'll never forget you." Ruby promised, hugging Yu tightly. It was a bit too tight for his liking. "Thank you for helping us, and thank you for being such a good friend."

The groups parted, tears in their eyes. Somehow, even Teddie's suit was crying. "We're ready." Yu said to Margaret. She nodded and a door appeared beside her. The Investigation Team stepped through the door and disappeared.

* * *

Yu's head was spinning. He was vaguely aware of his friends but more concerned about the sick feeling in his stomach. There was a river nearby, Samegawa. He stumbled over to the water, sure he would vomit. He crouched for a few seconds and before long the nausea passed. He still felt a bit dizzy, but he needed to make sure his friends were alright. They were, mostly. They looked like they had just gotten off the wildest roller coaster ride of their lives. Somehow they all managed to keep the contents of their stomachs where they belonged.

"I thought it would be wise to let you out here." Margaret said. "You would likely be seen in a more crowded area, and that would be a problem."

"Thanks." Yosuke said weakly. He sat down on the grass. "I've got to admit, as much as I'll miss those guys, I'm happy to be home. This little town seems even better when you've been away for a while." The others voiced their agreement. Yu was not so sure. He was really going to miss Team RWBY, and unlike the others, he knew what Margaret meant when she talked about the possibility of them seeing each other again. The chances would be slim to none. It was subtle, but Margaret looked noticeably tired. She could not send them back and forth on a whim. She would only facilitate a connection if it was an emergency, not for a social call.

Margaret seemed to sense Yu's sadness. "You will see them again." Margaret promised. Yu was not so sure, but he could sense kindness behind her usual cold manner. "Right now you need to enjoy the time you have left with the friends you have here. Be happy for them." She was right. If Yu kept worrying about things beyond his control, it would bring everyone down. He smiled and nodded.

"So, what do you say we all go celebrate?" Yosuke said. "We just took down another villain and another evil god!" The others were excited by the idea.

"You're paying." Chie said happily. "To Junes!" Yosuke and Chie began arguing, and everyone was soon back to their old selves. Yu had great friends, in this place and beyond, and he was happy for every moment they shared.

* * *

"I'm going to miss them." Ruby said sadly. The Investigation Team had departed and the door they had left through soon disappeared.

"I'm sure this isn't the last we'll hear from them." Yang encouraged her. "So, how was he?"

"Who?" Ruby asked. "What do you mean?"

"Yu of course." Yang answered. "How was he in bed? He was you first wasn't he?"

"W-what?!" Ruby stammered. "We didn't…that is we never…I sort of shot him down."

"Really?" Yang responded with surprise. "Well, your loss."

"Seriously." Weiss added.

"No kidding." Blake said.

They stood there silently for a moment. "Wait, did you all…" Ruby started.

"Let's get going." Yang said. "I think we all need a rest." She Blake and Weiss started to walk away toward the village. Ruby did not move.

"Hold on!" Ruby called after them. She waited a moment longer before giving chase. "You're all just messing with me right? Right?!"


	18. Epilogue

Epilogue

Time passed and things returned to normal. Team RWBY went to Beacon knowing they could not tell anyone about what had happened. If they did, everyone would think they were crazy. Well, crazier at least. Then, one day in the dining hall, things took a bit of a turn.

It was a normal lunch. The food was not special, just the same selection available every day. They sat in the same seats and talked to the same people. Nora regaled everyone with tall tales while Ren made sure to sort fiction from reality for all who cared to listen. Jaune ate absentmindedly while Pyrrha was lost in thought. Blake did not bother to stop studying while she ate and for some reason Weiss seemed more irritable than usual. Yang was enthralled by Nora's latest story and Ruby was happy to eat quietly in the company of good friends.

"So, you guys hear about that crazy rumor?" Jaune asked.

"What rumor?" Pyrrha asked.

"The one about the weird stuff that happens at night." Jaune replied.

"I know this one!" Nora said excitedly.

"Go ahead and tell them." Jaune yielded to his excitable teammate.

"So, at the stroke of midnight, the buildings around Beacon change." Nora said dramatically. "The locked doors all around campus unlock and become portals to whole other worlds." Ruby almost did a spit take. Blake looked up from her notes. Yang's expression suddenly shifted. Weiss almost fell off her seat. "To top it off, the Tower grows into a twisted labyrinth! All these places are populated by monsters out for human blood!" Team RWBY was in shock. It all sounded a little too familiar, even if they would not say anything.

"That's the rumor." Ren said. "I don't know about the human blood bit, but that's about it."

"Weird isn't it?" Jaune said. He noticed the shocked looks on the faces of Team RWBY. "Are you guys okay?"

"Fine." Ruby said less than convincingly. "That's a crazy story alright."

"We should check it out!" Nora shouted excitedly.

"It's just a story." Ren said. "There's nothing to check out."

"Oh come on." Nora pleaded. "It'll be fun."

"Students shouldn't be out so late." Ren said.

"What's the big deal Ren?" Jaune asked. "Let's have a look, get it out of her system."

"I just don't want you to be disappointed when we don't find anything strange." Ren said to Nora. "Besides, it's past your bedtime."

"Please." Nora said with puppy-dog eyes.

"Even I think it could be fun." Pyrrha said.

"Alright." Ren conceded.

"You guys want to come?" Jaune asked Team RWBY.

"That's okay, we're busy tonight." Blake said.

"Oh well, I guess it's just us then." Jaune said.

Team RWBY was very concerned. It sounded a bit like the shadow world had arrived at Beacon, with a few difference of course. Only at midnight? A labyrinthine tower? It sounded too bizarre to be true, but so did what they had experienced. They really did have plans, but they would have to keep an eye on the situation.

* * *

Official Shadow Operatives Report

Classification: Top Secret, For Operative #1 (Kirijo M.) Only

Report Type: Preliminary

Investigation: Inaba Incident

Investigation Lead: Operative #1 (Kirijo M.)

Reporting Operative: Operative #5 (Aigis)

Following the incidents in Inaba involving Labrys and Minazuki S. I have been making periodic visits to Inaba to further the investigation into the events that took place there prior to direct intervention of the Shadow Operatives. Using Labrys' desire to spend time with her new friends as cover, I have spent several days in Inaba asking around about the shadow-related incidents that occurred there. So far, no new information about those incidents, or the later incidents directly involving the Shadow Operatives, has come to light.

On my current visit to Inaba, I became aware of a strange door in the Inaba Central Shopping District. Given my prior experience, I knew it to be an entrance to the Velvet Room. I had not seen this door before, so I assumed it had appeared for a specific reason. I approached it, but was grabbed by the arm before I could enter. I recognized the person who grabbed me as Margaret, a resident of the Velvet Room. Our conversation was as follows:

-Aigis – Oh, Margaret, hello.

-Margaret – Hello Aigis, I was not expecting you.

-A – What is going on? This entrance to the Velvet Room was not here earlier. Is something wrong?

-M – Yes actually. It is a bit difficult to explain though. If you're busy, there is no need to concern yourself.

-A – Please explain. I am not busy. I am just visiting Inaba with my sister so she can visit her friends.

-M – Has Yu or his friends told you about the other shadow incident they dealt with? The one outside of Inaba to be specific.

-A – No, I am not aware of any other incidents involving shadows, at least none that involved that group.

-M – Shortly before resolution of the first Inaba incident, the one prior to your involvement, I transported the group to another world to help fight shadows there.

-A – Another world? What do you mean?

-M – I mean precisely that, another world. I transported them to another planet in another universe. There they assisted locals in defeating shadows and preventing a catastrophe. It seems the trouble there was not completely solved. Those on that world will need assistance again. I was expecting to send Yu and his friends again, but if you're willing to help, I would like to send you instead. They are just getting back to their lives, and I would like to avoid interfering with that if possible.

-A – I understand. How dangerous is the situation?

-M – If the situation is not dealt with, it could mean the end of that world, the effective death of everyone on the planet. Local Persona users may be able to handle it, but I am uncertain. Any assistance would be of great value.

-A – I will help. I have one request however.

-M – What do you need?

-A – I would like my sister to accompany me. We have only just met, and I do not want to leave her alone.

-M – That will not be a problem. I'm sure her assistance will be valuable as well. I would recommend you travel light.

-A – What do you mean by light?

-M – I suggest you limit your weaponry to the guns built into your hands. The ammunition used on that world is very different from what is used here on earth. You will have difficulty finding ammunition for any of your weapons, but there is an individual there who can make it for you. For her sake, you should limit your needs.

-A – I will leave my other armaments behind. Can Labrys bring her axe? I would not want her to be unarmed, but we should avoid standing out.

-M – Her axe will not stand out. You'll see what I mean. You will arrive near a village. A resident named Helia Anthos can put you in contact with the local Persona users you need to assist. Another resident named Amber Kelly can produce ammunition for you. Beyond that, it is up to you.

-A – I have some business to attend to before I go.

-M – I'll be here. Come back when you're ready.

I am sending in this report to inform the Shadow Operatives of Labrys' and my temporary departure. We will return when the mission is complete. I do not know how long that will take. Upon my return, I will submit a full report.

Signed: Operative #5 (Aigis)

* * *

"Are you ready?" Margaret asked.

"We are." Aigis replied. Margaret motioned with her arm and a door appeared. Aigis and Labrys stepped through and disappeared, heading for another world.

"Interesting." Naoto whispered to herself. "Very interesting." Tasked with investigating the Shadow Operatives, she had been keeping an eye on Aigis and Labrys. She knew Labrys was in Inaba to see her friends, but Aigis was a different story. If she was there too, the Shadow Operatives were involved. Naoto was very good at remaining unseen, and the pair she was following did not seem to notice her. Aigis had been asking around town, no doubt trying to gather some information about the incidents that had occurred in Inaba. Then Margaret entered the picture. If she was talking to Aigis, there was definitely something going on. When she produced a doorway and Aigis and Labrys passed through it, Naoto had a pretty good idea what that something was. Their friends on Remnant were in trouble, but Margaret did not want to inconvenience Yu and his friends now that they were living somewhat normal lives. It had been months, but she had been expecting this day to come. Something about the way things ended with Rosso and Tuonen Piika did not sit well with her. Most would have attributed the feeling to her tendency to become obsessed with her cases or her undying need to have all the answers, but she knew she was rarely wrong. "I need to inform Yu." She said to herself as she pulled out her phone.

"You're always investigating something aren't you?" Margaret asked casually. She had traversed the distance between them unexpectedly fast. Naoto had not even realized she had been noticed and had not seen Margaret coming. "I assume you've figured out what's going on."

"I have." Naoto confirmed. "Why not ask us?"

"You know why." Margaret replied. "I can't justify interrupting your lives and putting you all at risk again."

"Don't you think that's something we should decide?" Naoto countered. "I'm going to tell the others, and we'll make our decision."

"I have no doubt you will." Margaret said. "I also have no doubt as to what decision you will come to. You don't have to do this."

"You know us well enough to know I won't let this rest." Naoto said. "We won't let this rest. Our friends are in danger, we have to help."

Margaret sized Naoto up for a moment. Naoto met her stare, her determination was obvious. Margaret sighed. "Very well. Gather your friends, I'll be waiting."

* * *

**They will return!**

**On 16 March 2015 in...**

_**Shadows of Beacon**_


End file.
